


The Things We Did Last Summer

by TheGirlFromTheStars



Series: Till Summer Comes Around [1]
Category: Actor RPF, British Actor RPF
Genre: F/M, Gen, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-03-02
Updated: 2014-05-22
Packaged: 2018-01-14 07:04:41
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 35,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1257304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheGirlFromTheStars/pseuds/TheGirlFromTheStars
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An island can be relaxing, a great getaway that is peaceful and enjoyable for those who need it. But if you’re stranded on said island, with no memories, and only a folder containing meager information about yourself, will it still be enjoyable? Scientists from many places on the globe have joined forces with the government to conduct a study on human behaviors. If a group of people live together in a place of no rules and no responsibilities, how will they live their lives?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Emmedict - Emma Watson/Benedict Cumberbatch - is one of my reigning OTPs. This fic is the beginning of their story, how they met, how they lived and loved and learned to lose. I hope you enjoy! Any and all comments are welcome~

It was an experiment. For him, everything was an experiment. For him, for the whole group. They lived their lives trying to discover and pull out and tweak every detail of life. So when they had been presented with an opportunity to do the ultimate social experiment, they had hurriedly agreed. People, celebrities mostly although there were unknown people here and there, had been taken out of the real world.

To the media, they needed a break from their lives. They had all taken vacations, or were spending time with their family and friends before returning to the hectic life of a celebrity. In reality, to put it straight, each of the celebrities had been kidnapped. There wasn’t anything illegal about this procedure, that is if one had the permission of the government. The governments of several countries, the ones over the countries in which the celebrities had been residents, had been the ones to approach the scientists in the first place.

Each of these people had undergone a process. Their memories had been massively suppressed, although the strongest ones had been unable to be removed. There was potential that the subjects would bring those memories to surface if they were triggered, but that was trivial. Placing each of the subjects into a building filled with hospital white rooms, they let them be. As each of them would gradually awake, when the scientists were ready for them to, they would discover basic information about them, but the rest was for them to figure out. They needed to make themselves become someone, based on their surroundings and what they were given.

Cameras were hidden all over the island, for an island was where the experiment was to take place and cameras were necessary for observation. It was unlikely that the subjects would discover who was supplying them with food and drink weekly, The cameras were undetectable, there was no doubt in their minds that the islanders would find out that they were always being watched. Each of the scientists were interested in usually just one person, but he, he was in particular wondering about interactment in general. The people, how they would react to one another. How they would react to their surroundings. Now, for the games to begin.

____________

Emma stared out the window, seeing the waves crash on the shore. Her body had woken moments before. She looked over her shoulder briefly, seeing the bed and the folder exactly as she had left them, unmade and open. She was completely clueless as to how she got here, or how long she had been asleep. The folder was no help, seeing as it only contained a picture, her name, her age, and that her favorite color was a dark purple, almost an eggplant. She rolled her eyes, feeling slightly frustrated that she was given knowledge of what her favorite color was, but no information on how she got here.

She pushed herself away from the window. Emma decided that standing here wasn’t going to do anything so she did the most sensible thing. She left. Stepping outside the white room, her eyes browsed around to see herself surrounded by the exact same color. The hall was white; the floor, ceiling, doors, light switches, and paneling were all white. It reminded her of a hospital room, though she wasn’t entirely sure as to why.

Walking down the hallway for a bit, trying each of the doorknobs as she passed by, she was about ready to give up. All of the doors were locked, and even though a few sounded like she could hear snores coming from the other side of the door, she wasn’t entirely sure what the rooms held. Try, try again. More doors, more knobs, more inaccessible passageways. After what seemed like hours, she finally found a door that led to the outside.

The sun was high in the sky, making the sand on the beach sparkle like precious stones. She walked down the front of the beach, loving the feel of the sand between her bare toes, the light breeze pushing her hair away from her face, and the salty spray of the waves. Her hair was cropped short, she had seen that when she had stared through the window in the first moments of her awakening. The style held bangs that draped across her forehead, from the left part over.

Her eyes were a dark brown, matching what she thought was the dull color of her hair. She didn’t think herself to be stunningly beautiful, but she could tell she wasn’t drop dead ugly either. She didn’t feel particularly short, but her folder had said that she was five foot three inches, so, she had to be short in some aspects of height right?

The water that she walked beside was completely gorgeous. Crystal clear blu, framed by a matching colored sky as the waves rolled up against the warm sand under her feet. Taking a quick look around, it appeared that she was in some manner of tropicality. A tropical region of some sort, judging by the flora that popped up all around her. It was beautiful, quite, but she began to wonder if nature was the only beauty that existed here.

She hadn’t seen another living person here on the island – _it was an island, had to be, right? Either that or I’m on the edge of a continent..._   So she was beginning to wonder if she was alone currently. Traveling further down the beach, she slowly made her way along the shore until a structure began to come into view. It appeared to be small in size, but Emma knew that wasn’t the case. It only looked that way because of the perspective that she currently saw it in.

Venturing further, it was indeed a larger structure than it had appeared. It was in fact humongous. The building was a mansion, obviously built for large purposes. From standing outside at its front gates, Emma’s slim fingers running down the cool iron, it seemed like it had three floors, and each more extravagant than the last, judging by outward appearances. Emma was determined to find out even more of this building, and there was only one way to do it. She grinned, suddenly excited about the prospect of exploring as she entered the mansion through the large wooden front door.

____________

Chris stretched his arms as he entered the living room, glad to see a few people there, and recognizing more than one. He called out timidly; he was still a little off from watching the drama that had occurred there from earlier. “Anyone feel like going out? I’m a little stir crazy.”

Benedict looked up from the book in his hands, the one that he really hadn’t been reading. He was still emotional from earlier. Why wouldn’t he be? He thought he had every right to be emotional, since learning that his girlfriend decided to go out and sleep with another man, and then leave Benedict for that man. He sighed, rubbing his face with his hand. First Dianna, and now Billie. He didn’t want to enter a relationship so soon, again, after both of his horrible breakups, and each only about a week and a half from the other. Now, hearing Chris’s - _Colfer wasn’t it..?_ - familiar voice, he replied but he was a little hesitant to speak to the boy. “Hello.. I’ll join you if you’d let me. After this evening, I wouldn’t blame you for saying no..”

A nervous laugh escaped his lips, he hadn’t meant for people to jump on him and accuse him for punching John. He didn’t know what Chris thought of him, barely knowing the man. He’d had every right to hit the man his ex left him for.. right? John hadn’t been very respectful of Billie, at least Benedict hadn’t thought so. Why couldn’t he stop thinking about the harsh words he had been the recipient of? _We just had sex alright? I’m the one who jumped on her.._ As if the man was going to respond in a proper manner; _Oh my dear sir Benedict. I am terribly sorry to inform you that I have managed to steal your girl away by sleeping with her. You have my utmost apologies_. He mentally rolled his eyes. _As if._

Chris was pleased in general that someone wanted to still do something with him, even though he had tried to stop the argument between Billie, John, and Benedict in the first place. He put on his friendliest smile, trying to keep the mood light like it had been when he had first spoken “Yeah, we could if you like. I’m not really passing judgment on anyone involved at the moment... I’ve only just met most of you, so I figure whatever drama is there from before isn’t really my business let alone grounds for judgment.”

Benedict stood up from the couch slowly, wringing his hands as he put the book to the side. He still felt a little ashamed that Chris had to see him portray those mannerisms in a first meeting “…I really am sorry. Terrible first impression of me, I’m sure. Normally I’d.. not even dream of hurting someone..” Chris waved his hand, dismissing it completely. “I honestly think you had reason to, though like I said, I’m not really into passing judgment.” He smiled up at Benedict, pressing on in the conversation. “Are you up to doing something like exploring? I’ve been wanting to go out and see the starfish that I’ve heard so much about.”

Exploration was something Benedict could do, that was for sure. And, luckily for Chris, he had come across some tide pools that had a good size of life in them. “Come on then..” Benedict laughed quietly, and started towards the front door. Holding it open in politeness for the younger man, the two of them began to walk down along the beach before Benedict ventured to offer another question. “Have you had much of a chance to explore yet?”

“I haven’t explored much, no. I mean, I’ve had a few offers from people to help guide me if I ever decided to explore further, but I’ve only been here a day and a bit. The first day I went down to the beach with Darren, which was nice. And today, well.. you saw today.” Chris shrugged, shoving his hands into his pockets as he walked alongside the slightly taller man. “What about you?”

"Oh, I’m lucky enough to have lived here a few weeks.. I’ve nearly seen all of the island." He smiled still, and zipped up his sweatshirt. "Despite all that’s going on for me right now, this place really is amazing." He paused a long moment and chuckled. "It’s so funny how life works. Back when I first got here, I felt a lot like you. I was so happy while all this drama was going on. For some silly reason I thought I’d be spared from it."

Chris nodded, understanding. “Well, I haven’t exactly been happy since being here, but I do know what you mean. There’s bound to be drama in a group of people living in close proximity to each other, though. I honestly don’t think it’s got anything to do with you all as people.” He gave a shrug again, looking over and offering a sympathetic smile.

Benedict’s gaze turned out to the dark waves beside the two of them, the slow roll of the water climbing up onto the beach. “Yeah.. I suppose I was a little sad the first few days. I still get rather worried that there’s a family out there missing me” He said quietly, sighing. There was really no way to tell one way or another if he had one. There was no contact with the outside world, whatsoever. “But it starts to fade after a while I guess. Anyway, have you had many memories yet?”

Chris looked down at the wet sand, slowly dragging his feet through it. Yes there were memories, and thank god he wasn’t the only one that had them.“I’ve had one memory so far, but it’s still fairly foggy. Other times, people will say a sentence or I’ll see a picture or object and it seems like its trying to remind me of something.” Chris chuckled, how crazy that sounded. He started to apologize, “Sorry, I know how weird that sounds.”

"No, not at all.. I totally understand. So that must mean you haven’t found any interests?” Benedict raised an eyebrow as they walked closer to the tide pools, and he knelt next to one and pulled out a little starfish much smaller than his palm. "I mean, I’ve noticed everyone has some sort of thing that they cling to.. that reminds them of their old life."

There could be two things that Benedict was referring to, and Chris wasn’t sure which one he was mentioning now, so what better way to know than to ask? “Interests meaning things I like to do in my spare time, or interests as in people I’m interested in?” He chuckled and wandered over to a tide pool, crouching beside it and looking in awe. Benedict sighed and laid on his stomach by the tide pool, and looked over the little creature. He glanced over at Chris and laughed at his previous question. “Well since you bring it up, have you found anyone you fancy?”

Chris laughed, giving a bit of a shrug as he decided how to answer the man’s question. His fingers dipped down to touch the water below him. “There are a few people I find attractive, but I haven’t really gotten to know them. Actually one - but I haven’t even spoken to or really met yet, I’ve just seen her around.” He blushed.

Benedict’s curiosity rose immediately. Having feelings for someone was something that he had experienced often, and it still intrigued him when others felt the same way. He peppered Chris with a few questions, “Ohh.. what does she look like? Or do you know her name?” Benedict sighed a little, wondering if he had crossed the lines. “I suppose I’m just curious. You don’t have to tell me”

Chris shook his head, he didn’t mind speaking about it. “Her name’s Emma. I talked to someone else that’s met her, so don’t think I’m a stalker or anything. I’ve seen her wandering around a bit, I think she’s gorgeous.” He blushed a little deeper, giving a shrug. “Ahh.. I don’t think I’ve met her either, but she sounds lovely..” Benedict sat up. “Are you going to talk to her?”

Chris pulled his legs up to his chest, hugging them a little before responding. “You think I should?” He looked over, raising a brow and standing from his crouched position, his knees cracking. He got the feeling the conversation was starting to bore the blue-eyed man, and he scrambled to find a new topic.

"Of course!" Benedict jumped up to his feet with a grin. "It’s really a rather important thing to go after someone you like.. The guys here tend to.. take all the single girls quickly.." He sighed a little sadly. No. He was not going to think about his pathetic love life that existed here on the island. He was enjoying conversing with Chris, and it was going to stay that way.

Sitting quietly, Benedict put the starfish back into the pool water. Chris was lost in many different thoughts that plagued him currently, having a mental conversation for a minute. Opening his mouth, a sigh escaped before words followed, “I’m slowly finding some sort of permanence here, y’know? Even if we do find a way out of this place, I’m not sure I’ll want to go.”

"That’s how I came to terms with it.." Benedict said, and looked over at Chris. "I mean, I don’t think normal life was quite this nice. Not everyone can live in complete seclusion on a tropical island with a bunch of very attractive people.. and we don’t even really have to work. I just can’t imagine a life much better."

His words, for some reason, struck Chris as funnier than it probably should have been. He figured, though, that a lot of his repressed emotions were coming out via laughter. “I think you’re right, y’know. It’s really nice that we’re put into this situation without memories of the past, in that way - we don’t have anything to miss. We don’t know any different than this right now, and I think that makes it easier.”

Benedict laughed with him, and listened to what he had to say. “Yeah.. for all we know we’ve all had terrible lives. Either way, we get a clean slate.” He thought out loud a bit, and finally heard Chris ask another question, noticing the boy shrugging as he did so, “Do you have a favorite place here?” A grin spread over Benedict’s face and he nodded right away. “There’s a few, but there’s this tree that is simply amazing. Have you ever climbed a tree?”

No, definitely not. At least, Chris didn’t think he had. If so he couldn’t remember.“I’ve never climbed a tree, I don’t think. I don’t know for sure,” he chuckled, sometimes finding the whole rediscovering of the self a little entertaining. Seeing the grin spread across his newly found friend’s face, Chris felt he just had to ask. “Take me to the tree? I’d like to see it, if that’s alright. Don’t worry, though, I won’t steal it.” He grinned, dimples and all.

Benedict couldn’t help but smile with him. Chris just had that sort of smile that one had to smile back at. “Of course I can..” He looked up at the sky, and nodded. “Perfect timing too, it’ll be getting dark soon. I love the stars here.” He led Chris to nearly the other side of the island. “Have you seen those yet?”

“No,” He shook his head, voice breathy at imagining how magnificent the starts would look from a remote place like this. “There’s so much I haven’t seen, I feel like a child,” he chuckled, following alongside Benedict until they reached the other side of the island. “I feel like I could just keep walking and walking and it wouldn’t get any less beautiful.”

"I don’t think it ever will.." Benedict pointed to the tallest tree on the entire island as they approached it. "There it is." He smiled. "It’s pretty easy to climb, it think you should be alright. I can go up behind you to make sure you don’t fall"

Chris chuckled and watched as Benedict scaled the tree. He made it look so easy, and for a moment he was afraid he might chicken out from trying - that is, until Benedict reached down for his hand to help him up. Taking the helping hand, he climbed up to the first branch, pulse spiking in exhilaration. It wasn’t a huge feat, but it was something new and he had the feeling he was going to be doing a lot more of it, given the chance. “How far up the tree do you usually go?”

"To the top." Benedict chuckled quietly, but stopped when he could tell Chris was a little scared. "Here, just step up onto that branch there, and I’ll stay back here, alright? The worst is basically over. That first branch is difficult.." He tried to assure him without pointing out that he’d noticed his fear.

Chris chuckled lamely, knowing he’d been caught scared. “If I stop now I won’t ever work up the courage to get to the top.” Courage. The word pulled at something in him, though he couldn’t identify what. For a moment he found himself lost in thought, and he gave his head a shake to push the memory away. Now was not the time. He climbed as high as he could, not trusting the tree to hold his weight up any higher. “Oh,” he breathes, looking out at the expanse of the island, managing to sit on a branch and stare up at the stars. “I can see why you come here so often.”

Benedict nodded, and sat on a slightly higher branch nearly next to Chris. “Yeah, it’s beautiful.” he looked for different clusters that he’d remembered the names of. “It’s hard to believe hardly any of them are even there anymore.” He glanced over at Chris. “You don’t have to sit on the branch if it makes you uneasy..” He pointed to a hammock handing from a nearby branch. “That’s probably a bit safer for you”

Chris looked up at the pure height of the tree, jaw falling slack. The tree was enormous, and absolutely amazed him. “Wow,” he whispered, forgetting for a moment that Benedict was standing beside him. Snapping into reality, he smiled over at the man again and blinked a few times. “I couldn’t.. I mean, I don’t want.. it’s yours.” Realistically, he knew it was just a tree, but someone’s favorite place was sacred, and he didn’t think they should have to share it with anyone else.

"Well technically speaking, no. I just go up there to sleep most of the time. I don’t like the indoors." He chuckled, and jumped to reach the first branch. The first one was just barely out of his reach, but the rest of the branches were so close, you could nearly walk up them like steps. Once he got onto the first branch, he grinned down at Chris, and held out a hand to help him up. "Come on, this is the hardest part, I promise"

Chris hugged the tree branch once he had situated himself, but he shrugged nonchalantly. It wasn’t too difficult. Looking back at it now. Pulling his legs up so that they gripped the tree for extra comfort, he offered another question. “So, do you prefer a nickname to Benedict, or is it a strict full-name policy?”

Benedict turned his kaleidoscope eyes up to the stars. He was so captivated by them, and it amazed him over and over again each night how beautiful they were.”Most of the people I’ve met have called me the full name, but a few call me Benny. I don’t really care as long as I know you’re talking to me.” He smiled, and looked over at Chris a moment in thought. “How old did the file say you are?”

Chris chuckled lightly, he genuinely enjoyed laughing, looking over at his friend and tilting his head to the side a little, listening. It seemed fair enough, and it let people come up with their own creative nicknames for him if they so desired. Smiling at the question, he chuckles. “Take a guess.” “That’s not fair!” Benedict laughed. “You have one of those faces that can pass for a lot of different ages.. that’s why I asked.” He took a long moment and looked at Chris’s face carefully. “Thirty… one?”

Chris smirked a little at Benedict’s protest, chuckling lightly as he concentrated. “Make sure you study my good side,” he joked, turning his head to one side and eyeing the other man carefully. His eyebrows raised at the number, and despite his best efforts to hold it in, he burst into musical laughter. “Oh, gosh no. I’m twenty-three at the end of May!” The giggle fit lasted a while, but eventually he managed to calm himself down, and it was reduced to a big, dimpled grin.

Benedict laughed with him. “See! I just called you old, you should be furious with me!” He teased again, laughing all the while. He had to admit the young man was adorable. That grin of his was like a little kid’s smile. “Okay, so I was exaggerating a little.” He still laughed a little, but wound it down. “Goodness I don’t think I’ve actually made friends with any of the other men on the island.” He mused, and took a deep breath.

“Well, now you have.” Chris offered another smile, giving a little shrug and letting one leg dangle toward the ground. “I really think I intend to be the kind of person on this island that makes friends with people no matter what they’re past drama is. I honestly believe that I don’t have the right to end a friendship with someone based on their problems with someone else.” He chuckled again and looked back over at Benedict. “Unfortunately that means you’re stuck with me, mate.” He tried to mimic the man’s accent and failed miserably.

"Are you making fun of me?" Benedict managed to speak in a somewhat convincing American accent, but wound up giggling. "And, I’m glad." He reached over and messed up Chris’s hair. "Silly old American.." He laughed, deciding he’d just jokingly call Chris _old_ for quite a while even though Benedict was ten years his senior.

“Maybe just a little,” Chris’s eyes widened with surprise at the impressive American accent. “How did you manage that? That accent was almost flawless!” Hair all a mess, he stuck out his bottom lip and exhaled upwards, a few strands fluffing out of the way. “How do you feel about the name Ben, by the way? Or B?”

Benedict laughed, and nodded “Either one’s fine..” He looked up at the stars once again. God he could really look at them forever. “I don’t actually know.. I guess I’ve just been around enough American accents here..” He shrugged “I probably picked it up..”

“Obviously I haven’t spent nearly enough time around people with English accents of any sort,” Chris replied, zipping his hoodie up a little further. It wasn’t much colder now from before, but a few degrees was enough to make Chris cold. “I seriously need to come up with a more original nickname for you, though. Benedict just seems so odd for me to use many times in one conversation, and the others are probably common as hell.”

"Oh, I know.. It’s completely awful.." Benedict teased, and looked back at the mansion. "We should probably get you back to the mansion here soon. You will want to sleep at some point I imagine."

“Sleep. Ugh.” Chris rolled his eyes and slumped his shoulders a little, making the mistake of looking down at the ground beneath him. He had no fear of falling, just an odd dizzy feeling in his brain when he looked up at or down from heights. “It’s been a few days, I should probably catch a few z’s before I start to hallucinate.”

Benedict stood straight up on the branch they’d been sitting on, and let himself fall back before catching himself on it with his hands. “Alright then, let’s get going. You should be able to just step down, there are enough branches..” Chris’s eyes widened when Benedict let himself fall, giving his head a light shake as he chuckled. He walked down a few branches, but took the chance of jumping down from the second or third branch up, landing with a soft _thud_ in the sand and a giant grin on his face.

“So, do you think we’ll be able to get together for another chat?” He asked because he had appreciated the laughs they’d had, and wanted to get to know the man better, if only just to have another friend on the island. ”If you’d like to, of course.” Benedict Jumped down, and walked along the sand with Chris toward the house. “Any time. Really, this has been so much fun.” Benedict chuckled quietly. “Besides, you need to report back on how things go with you and the young lady.” He winked.

A wide grin spread across Chris’ face at the fact that his new-found friend mentioned that he thought it was fun seeing him. He had found it fun as well, and it made him happy to know that they would continue to connect and befriend one another. The grin was very quickly replaced with a deep blush that dusted along his cheeks, turning the tips of his ears pink in its wake. “There may not even be ‘things’ to speak of,” he chuckled, “I’ve barely even spoken to her.”

"Oh, come on. Humor me, old man." He teased him yet again for his age even though Benedict was much older than him. "I’m sure she’ll like you. Have you figured out how to ask her out yet?" He asked as they approached the house. “Well I can’t very well just ask her out when there’s been barely any interaction, now, can I?” He chuckled, the blush still present as they made their way toward the mansion. Chris shoved his hands into his pockets and shrugged his shoulders up a little, curling the material of his hoodie a little higher around his neck. Benedict yawned. “Technically you could.. though I wouldn’t recommend it.” He chuckled softly, and shook Chris’s hand. “You’ll figure something out. I’m going to bed.. I’ve gotten tired.”


	2. Chapter 2

Emma walked into the house by the backdoor. She was enjoying her stay on the island so far, already meeting more than one friendly face that had cheered up her outlook of living here. Frankly, she was thankful that she wouldn’t alone. The house itself she could tell from the little bit of exploration she had done the day before was enormous, obviously needing to be large if there were as many people as others said were living here.

Emma passed through the living room, closing the rear door behind her. It was almost a shame to shut it, the weather outside was wonderful. She walked past the couches and massive fireplace, marveling at how beautiful this place was. As Emma entered the kitchen, she noticed a young man sitting on one of the bar stools over by the island counter. Emma smiled, thinking it was time to make another friend. She walked up and grabbed another stool that was next to him, pulling it out so that she could slide into it. ”Hello there.” She said in a soft voice, backing it up with a smile.

Chris thought he was alone in the house, and had taken the few minutes of leisure to try his hand at cooking. Fortunately for him, he had discovered he was really quite good at it; his hunches were proving accurate time and time again, and he hoped this would help him to get some of his memories back. Starting on his meal, he sat a little hunched over the island counter, the lack of sleep showing in his frame.

Mid-chew, he was startled by a rather soft and feminine voice beside him - he hadn’t even noticed her sitting down in the stool… he really was tired. He jumped a little, covering his mouth with a hand as he finished chewing. “Hi,” He said with a smile, offering a hand to shake. “Sorry I didn’t see you come up, I seem to be off in La La Land more often than not.” He blushed a little and studied her face. Oh dear god. It was her. Emma. The girl that he had seen around the island, the one he had spoken to Benedict about.

Emma kept the smile on her face as she extended her hand to shake. “Its all good. La La Land can be a great place to be.” Emma retracted her hand after he had shaken it, propping her chin up on it in a comfortable position. ”I’m Emma by the way. What’s your name?” She had noticed his slumped posture, almost like his body was exhausted. She wondered if he was alright, if he was disturbed by lack of sleep or if it was by other worries.

Emma wanted to ask, she felt a nudge of concern for him, but she felt it would be a little awkward if she asked. Considering how she had met him mere seconds ago. It would probably be improper, and he might think that she was nosy, so she kept her thoughts to herself, as she waited to hear what his name was.

Chris wiped at his mouth with a napkin. _Great first impression, Colfer, you might have food on your face._ “Emma, is it? Pretty name.” He smiled at her, dimples digging happily into his cheeks. _Really pretty name for a really pretty girl._ “I’m Christopher. Well, Chris. Unless I’m in trouble.” He chuckled lightly and sipped at the glass of ice water he had sitting beside him. “Am I in trouble?”

Emma giggled, smiling brightly. “Thankyou. Its very simple at the very least.” He had a nice smile she noticed, one of those that made you want to smile back. “Its a pleasure to meet you Chris.” She shook her head lightly, making her bangs fall in her face. She lifted a hand to wipe them away and back onto her forehead where they belonged. “No, I don’t think so. Not from me anyways.”

Chris loved to make people laugh, and so when Emma giggled, it only made his smile grow. He made her laugh. _He made her laugh!_ “It’s a pleasure to meet you, too. Have you been here long?” He only asked because she had the faintest traces of shock and confusion in those doe eyes. He himself wasn’t quite over that part yet, either. Her bangs falling into her face made Chris giggle - not chuckle, but yes, giggle - and he shook his head a little in disbelief. This girl was already making him smile, and it only continued to make him feel at ease.

"No actually. I only woke up yesterday.” It was all so surreal, even now. “Quite sudden isn’t it? Its hard to believe, the whole idea of being here with no recollection of how or any idea of why. Its a little aggravating to be honest." They, whomever had dropped them all off here, could have at _least_ bothered to give a proper explanation. “Everything could be taken as Alice in Wonderland might have for a short person such as myself.” She smiled, showing that her tones were playful.

“Sudden is an understatement,” he chuckled, listening to her as he continued to pick away at his food. The musical little chuckle returned at the mention of her shortness. She wasn’t really  _that_ short - about average height for a woman - but she was 5 or 6 inches shorter than him, anyway. 

"Tell me about it." Emma leaned against the counter, listening as Chris offered her another question. “I’m sorry, I seem to have dropped my manners with my napkin. Can I get you something to eat? I fixed too much for myself.”  She thought for a moment. "Food? Well, I don’t know." She looked down at her belly. "Are you hungry?" She asked, being silly for a moment. She looked back up at Chris. "I think food would be a good thing, what kind of things are there to eat?" Surely there had to be a big selection. Everything here was big, the house, the beach, the kitchen. So it made sense for the food to be big as well. She really wasn’t sure what she was in the mood for, there were so many possibilities.

Chris, who had been in the middle of sipping water when she’d asked her belly if it was hungry, choked a little on the water from the unexpected burst of laughter that escaped him. “You’re so cute, oh my gosh.” The blurted comment made him blush and shake his head, scratching at the back of his neck in embarrassment. Did he really say that? Out loud? Yes, he had seen her around the island a little bit and wanted to get to know her better, so the comment wasn’t entirely off hand, but still. _Good going Colfer._  
  
Emma pulled her head up at the comment, a blush taking over her cheeks. “Really? T-thankyou.” She watched him rub his neck in embarrassment, and found the action to be sweet, cute in its own way. He seemed like a nice bloke, and she was enjoying these moments right now. Maybe there was something more lying under the surface, and she wanted to continue these little moments with Chris, to see if there was something.

“Well I’ve just made these pizza bagel things,” He shrugged. “Sauce and cheese and bacon on a bagel. It’s pretty good.” He smiled up at her and then continued: “Other than that, there’s just about anything you can think of here. I don’t know how the fridge keeps stocked, but it does. And well.”

Emma peered at the bagels, stretching her upper torso over the island. “Those look really really good. You made them? You must be a brilliant cook cause those look fantastic.” Her fingers stretched forward towards the food. She closed them into a fist, pulling them back. “Do, do you mind if I try it? That is, if you don’t want them.”

“Well, I wouldn’t say I’m brilliant. I’d think any college student could come up with something like this. I don’t know, I just opened the fridge and grabbed the first few ingredients I could find, came up with this.” Another giggle escaped him as she reached toward the food - she was perfectly quirky, not at all the bad sort of odd. “Be my guest.” He turned the plate toward her so that she could have a better reach as he polished off the one he had been working on.

Emma grabbed one of the remaining bagels, bringing it up to her mouth and taking a bite. She rolled her eyes back, closing her eyelids. “How can you say you’re not brilliant, these are amazing!” She took another bite, enjoying the delicious taste before speaking again, flipping her eyes up to Chris. “I’m serious Chris. These are really good. Do you do a lot of cooking?”A drop of the sauce had fallen off of the bagel, dripping onto her hand via her finger. Emma reached over to the napkin canister, pulling out one to wipe her finger off. She had a feeling that usually she might lick the sauce off, but she didn’t feel like doing that now.

“There’s literally nothing on them except sauce, cheese, and bacon bits.” He chuckled lightly, shrugging and giving a pleased smile. “I found out earlier that I like to cook, so I just sort of figured I’d take a shot at it I’m glad you like them, though,” He said after she had cleaned the sauce from her hand. “If you like, I could probably make more. Just… come find me.” _Please come find me._ He gave another little shrug, unable to stop smiling. “I’m sure we’ll bump into each other a few more times, anyway. Have you found a place to stay yet? There’s a bunch of bedrooms upstairs, and a couple of flats along the beach.”

She smiled even wider when he mentioned bumping into her again. “I’d like that.” She nodded, “Actually yes. I know I haven’t been here very long, but I managed to meet another person, his name’s Constantine, do you know him? Anyways, I think we’ve decided to room together for now. I don’t know what rooms are taken and he’s a nice bloke so it works out.”  
  
Chris brought his plate over to the sink, ready to clean it as he nodded and smiled at her. “I’ve met Constantine, yeah. He’s a really great guy as far as I can tell. I’m bunking with Colin, he was the first person I met here - him and Darren. He’s a great friend. They both are, really.” When the dish was clean he dried it with a towel before putting it back up on the shelf.  “I’m sorry, I get chatty sometimes. Probably overly so.”

Emma lightly shook her head in disagreement. “Not at all! Its nice, it doesn’t make you carry on the conversation all by yourself.” Emma paused, curious about something. “Chris, how long have you been here?” He averted his gaze from hers when she asked him about how long he’d been here. It wasn’t that the question bothered him, really, it was just that it frustrated him that he still had so many questions. “Honestly? I’ve only been here two days. It’s why I asked if you had been here long or not, I kind of saw it in your face.”

Emma smiled, “Honestly? It shows that much?” She laughed lightly rolling her eyes a bit. “I probably seem silly, being a bit out of it. I guess I’m still in awe about this whole place.”  She looked around. “It really is,” She paused, thinking of the right word to describe it. Her eyebrows clenched slightly as she contemplated, absentmindely biting her bottom lip when the word came to her. “Its an experience.”

He chuckled quietly when she rolled her eyes, giving a bit of a shrug. “It’s not quite  _that_ obvious, but I’ve been here such a short time I think I’d notice it on anyone. You don’t seem silly at all. Not to me, anyway. It really is an experience, one that’s hard to wrap your head around. I’ve been thinking far too much since I got here, and I still can’t get over it.” He chuckled, but the humor wasn’t genuinely there. The weight of his thoughts was a little heavier than he had expected them to be.

Emma smiled, glad that she didn’t seem like a complete ditz. “Small talent maybe?” She remained quiet, just listening to his thoughts. “Thinking isn’t necessarily a bad thing you should know. It proves you’re intelligent.” She smiled lightly, trying to cheer him up, make him have a genuine smile again. She clapped her hands again, thinking of something that she figured she would enjoy, perhaps he would as well. “I’m dying to know the rest of the house. Do you want to join me in my exploration?”

Chris replied back immediately, nodding when she asked him to join her. “Exploring sounds great, I don’t think I’ve had much of a chance to do that since I got here.” When he got here, the first thing that he did was find a place to stay, figure out where that was, and then try to get some of his memories back. Figuring out the layout of the house hadn’t been as much of a priority as it probably should have been.

 A grin accompanied her reply. “Fantastic! Then what are we waiting for, let’s get started.” She spun around quickly, walking, almost skipping as she exited the kitchen, turning to corner to enter the next room. She had this large want to discover every inch that was available to her, to know and memorize her new home. This island was enormous, based on what little bit she’d seen and what she’d heard from others. Emma knew that she wouldn’t lack of things to see, and she couldn’t wait to see everything here. If it was out of her reach, she’d find a way to get to the places somehow.

Watching Emma’s face light up brought a smile to Chris’ face. She seemed so full of wonder and life, so ready to just go out and explore, dangers be damned. He followed her skipping frame and explored with her, pointing out things that she may not have noticed, and listening intently when she found something she thought was interesting. It was a mission of his to get to know most everyone better on the island, and some, like Emma, he seemed to naturally just connect with. 

________________________________

Emma walked into the kitchen, still on the buzz from her exploration on the previous night. There were a few people hanging in the kitchen and she mustered up her courage to ask them a question. “It is a really lovely day outside. Anyone fancy going and exploring with me?” A few seconds after the words had popped out of her mouth, a tall and lanky man stood up from the bar stool, casually walking her way with a small smile on his face.  He was very tall, towering over her by several inches, at least six.

His voice was deep and as he spoke, his head tilted a little, making his ginger curls fall onto his face. “I’ve been meaning to go look at the cliffs.. I’ll join you if you’d like.” Emma brightened, glad to have another person to share an exploration adventure with.  “Cliffs? That sounds fun! I’d love the company.” She figured it would be best for her to introduce herself, first definitely because she was the one who had asked in the first place. “My name’s Emma by the way.”

“I’m Benedict. It’s lovely to meet you… are you new?” As the words left his mouth, Benedict dipped his long arm down, taking Emma’s hand and kissing the back gently. Emma returned his previous smile, a light blush crossing over her cheeks at his gentlemanly gesture. “It’s a pleasure to meet you Benedict. Yes, I woke up around two days ago.”

 “I do believe I have heard _of_ you though.” He cocked his head as he watched her, the smile remaining on his face. Emma was surprised; someone had been speaking about her? “Oh really? I hope it’s good things if you’ve heard of me.”

“Oh, no nothing bad. Only that someone wanted to go meet you or something. I hardly remember.” Benedict offered a smile to quell any anxiety that she might have had, changing the subject smoothly. “So, two days hmm? I only got here a few weeks ago. How have you liked it so far?” Emma nodded before using her mouth to respond with words as well. “I think it’s a lovely place honestly. From what I can tell, everyone’s really open and friendly, which is fantasic. Do you like living here?”

Benedict clearly agreed, from the way he spoke in return showed that. “Aside from the drama I’ve unfortunately fallen into here and there, It’s been perfect. Honestly, I can’t think of a better spot. Have you gotten all settled in a room and everything yet?”

Emma frowned slightly, drama wasn’t the best thing that a person could have, but at least there were positive factors to hopefully help ease the drama. Like where they had been stranded for instance. It was a beautiful place, and that helped make things better, brighter “Yes, I’ve found a roommate, and I think I’m pretty much settled in.

Benedict nodded his head, glad to hear that she had begun to settle in, as well as curious to whom she was sharing a room with. “Who’s your room mate if I may ask? I take it you get along well?” Her roommate was a very nice man, and it had been a relief to know that she had a place to remain, for now anyways. “His name is Constantine, have you met him? Yes we do get along, he’s a great guy, first one I met here actually. So, meeting someone as friendly as him, it was a nice way to start getting used to this place.”

Benedict’s eyes lit up in recognition. “Ahh! Yes, I’ve met Constantine a few times. I’d even venture to say he’s a friend of mine. ” Good to know. Emma was hoping to make friends, and it seemed like many people knew her roommate, from those she had spoken to. She hoped that she would be able to make friends as easily as he had. Benedict clapped his hands together, as if he was suddenly remembering something.

“Right, so where were we going on the island? Just exploring? I’ll probably need to change into some swimming trunks if you’d like to meet me on the front porch in about ten minutes?” Changing. Emma hadn’t even thought about changing. Her eyes trailed down to her current outfit. “I didn’t have a particular place in mind. I think I should switch clothes as well. That sounds like a good plan, I’ll see you in a couple of minutes then.”


	3. Chapter 3

Out on the front porch, Benedict hung upside down from the porches railing, giggling like a child. Strange things happened when Benedict had to entertain himself. He now wore a pair of trunks, and a necklace. He figured there would be swimming so he didn’t actually see the point in wearing more. It was too hot to wear more clothes than needed anyway. This was his attempt at patiently waiting for Emma to show up; him hanging from the porch laughing like an idiot.

Emma opened the front door, having quickly changed into a light blue swimming suit one-piece with black shorts to match. She smiled to herself. The sight of Benedict hanging upside down was quite funny. It was neat to her, seeing that adults could still act like children; still have fun in the little things. She closed the door quietly before calling out, “Having fun there?”

Benedict looked up and her and nodded with his quirky crooked grin. “Yes I am.” He got up, and stood next to her. “It’s fun. You should really try it sometime.” He bounced down the steps, and looked back at her when he got to the bottom. “Okay, so I wasn’t sure where to go, but I think we should go to the tide pools. I go there nearly every day with someone new, but there are little animals and things in them. It’s entertaining.”

 “If I’m ever in the mood to do something and I can’t think of what that something could do I’ll come swing.” Emma walked down the steps, speaking as she descended. “Tide pools? That sounds brilliant! I can see how that would be entertaining, it sounds entertaining! ” She smiled brightly at the idea of it. “Lead the way? Because I honestly don’t know where they’re located.”

“Of course, love.” He agreed, and started to walk along the beach. “They’re just this way. Have you actually been anywhere but the house and where you woke up?” He asked, wondering if she’d explored at all. “There’s a lot of cool little things like that.” He explained.

Emma walked beside him, shaking her head a little. “Sadly no. I have seen many rooms of the house, still trying to get to know it all though. The only out of doors discovering, if you could call it that, that I’ve done is walked along the beach near the building where everyone woke up. I’ve been meaning to do more, but with finding a bite to eat, and someplace to stay, exploring has been pushed to the back of my list. Until now.” She smiled widely, glad there would be more to see. And she planned on seeing them all.

Benedict nodded. “Yeah, our first few days always are a little hectic I suppose.” He agreed, and gasped as he found a tide pool. “Come look, here.. I always find these cute little star fish here.” The pool was too dark to actually see in the deeper parts, and he reached his hand in rather fearlessly to halfway up his bicep and seemed to be feeling around for one. After a moment or two he pulled out a star fish. “See?” He held it in his palm, and showed it to her. “You can hold it if you want.” He seemed like an excited little boy. His weakness was nature, and things like this.

Emma’s eyes widened in amazement at the life sitting in his hands. She reached out with her forefinger and gently drew it along one of the star fish’s legs, feeling the cool and slippery skin against her finger. She laughed lightly, loving the unique sensation. “That is incredible!” Gently, she reached out and picked the little star fish from Benedict’s grasp, being careful to hold it securely. After a few seconds, she set it back down in the water, watching it float to the bottom and re-attach itself to a rock.

“Isn’t it amazing?” Benedict watched the starfish float down in the water, and then looked to Emma. “There’s all kinds of things in these.. I found an eel once.” He stated, just making conversation, and reached into another one near him to search for something new.

He began to think of other fun things to show her on the island. “Are you afraid of anything?” He asked, still sort of concentrating on the water. The different things he liked to do on the island weren’t exactly common. He liked dare-deviling, so he couldn’t exactly show her his favorite things if she were afraid of heights or something like that. 

Emma paused, thinking of an answer to his question. “Afraid of anything? Honestly, I can’t think of anything. I might find something that freaks me out a bit, but I don’t think I’ll know until I try it.” She looked up at Benedict, pulling her eyes away from the ripples on the water. “And then, if I try it, I might not be afraid anymore.” She said with her normal smile. It probably sounded childish, but she really didn’t know how else to explain it. Conquering any fears that one might get or already might have on an island like this would be a very smart move she figured. ”Where did you have in mind for us to visit next?”

Benedict listened and nodded with a gentle smile as she spoke. “That makes sense. Getting rid of fears would be a good idea here since there are only so many things to do.” He suggested, and pulled his hand out of the water with a little hermit crab shell on his palm. He studied it closely and held his hand still so that it would come out. “It’ll open up possibilities.” 

When she asked what he had in mind he couldn’t help but look over at her with a mischievous grin. It was the very grin a ten year old would have when they were planning something devious. “I was thinking we might go jump off the cliffs over there.” He pointed down along the beach several kilometers away where there were cliffs that dropped down into the ocean. “I’ve jumped off of them once before.. It’s quite fun.” He nodded.

Emma’s eyebrow went up once that grin appeared. It looked like he had an idea and her hunch turned out to be correct. She leaned, looking past him at the direction of where his finger was pointing. The cliffs, from this distance, looked rather large, dangerous, and foreboding. To sum it up, it was something she wanted to go and find out if it really was all of the above. She stood up quickly, a playful smile hinting around the corners of her mouth. “Then if you’ve jumped and since you’re still alive, I think that if I jump off I’ll survive as well.”

“Atta girl!” Benedict jumped to his feet, leaving the hermit crab in the water, and looked over at the cliffs before starting to walk, and gesturing that she follow. “I should warn you, there are rocks at the bottom, but if you get a really good running start, you’ll be fine.” He grinned excitedly. He loved company when doing dangerous things. It made the thrill more fun if someone could share it.

When they got to the cliffs, they stood on the edge, looking down. There were lots of rocks at the bottom. One would need to jump at least three yards out from the cliff to safely avoid them. That’s a pretty big running start. The drop wasn’t too bad from his point of view. It was only about ten stories where they were standing. “So?” Benedict smiled over at her. “Do you want to try? I can go first if it’ll make you feel better.”

Emma looked over the edge and decided. She turned, and walked back to the edge of some trees that had stopped growing near the end of the cliff face. “Why wait?” She called out to Benedict. If she was going to jump, she was going to do it right. She took off, running hard, pumping her legs fast before taking a flying leap off the cliff. She could hear the wind in her ears, pushing her hair against her scalp and she clasped her hands together above her head.

She hit the water and sank under. The coolness was unbelievably good, it felt amazing. She kept falling under before she began to push herself up with her arms, her legs kicking fast. She took a deep breath as she reached the surface and knew immediately that she would want to jump again.

Benedict was a little surprised to say the least but looked down as she hit the water. He was nervous for her for just a moment before she resurfaced, and a grin slapped its self onto his face. He couldn’t wait any longer by that point, and he ran back to where she started running. He sprinted as fast as his gangly legs could carry him, and flung himself off the cliff a few yards from where she had so that he wouldn’t hit her. 

The falling was his favorite part. His chest heaved with adrenaline, his blood rushed, he could feel his heart beating, and just for those few moments he could close his eyes and feel like he was flying. When he hit the water, he stayed under, and opened his eyes to look around the clear ocean. There was really nothing down there but sand, and a lot of rocks, but it was still cool to see the light reflecting through the water. 

He kicked his legs until he reached the surface, and grinned breathlessly at Emma. His chest still heaved, but he was regaining breath. His chest had a red cut that extended from the middle of his collar bone to his chest, but he didn’t really notice any pain, he was still on the high. “Well? How did you like it, love?”

Emma looked under, trying to see if she could spot Benedict because he hadn’t surfaced just yet. She was getting ready to go under, when he surfaced near her. She smiled back, sharing the exhilaration they had felt on their jump. She took another breath, her heartbeats were trying to return to normal after a thrill like that. “I loved it! You sir have some amazing ideas.”

Benedict nodded right away to her compliment. “Thank you. I’m amazed you managed that! I wouldn’t have guessed you had the stomach to jump like that.” He laughed quietly.

Swimming closer, Emma was about to ask if he wanted to do it again, or if he had something else planned, when she noticed a long red streak on the front of his torso. Looking closer, she found that it looked like it had been cut on a rock, possibly from the fall down. “Benedict, are you alright? What did you hit? Maybe we should get to shore.” She shook her head, feeling guilty that he had been hurt in their freefall. Maybe she should have asked him where she should have jumped before she leaped. That could have possibly prevented this.

At the very least, she wanted to get him out of the water, not have the wound stretch and expand wider, and then possibly bleed after. With just the two of them out there, and the fact that she had no idea how serious it might or might not be, she didn’t want to have his cut get worse at any rate.

The expression on Benedict’s face changed as she got closer, looking worried. He glanced down at himself in confusion, and saw the mark. It was a pretty deep gash, nearly two centimeters deep at some parts. It could definitely get worse if it were stretched or something, and the saltwater in it hurt like hell. He was confused though. He couldn’t recall hitting anything. He glanced over at the rocks near where he landed, and saw blood on one that was closer to them. “Oh, bugger. That same one got my arm last time..” He mumbled and looked down at his chest again. “Ahh well.. I’ll get it bandaged up when we get home..” He bit his lip, holding back the pain. “Did you want to go for another jump? I think I could make it again.” He said, mostly because he didn’t want to ruin all the fun.

Emma looked over when his head turned. Her concern grew when she noticed the blood. There wasn’t any reason for him to stay here, she didn’t want his massive wound to grow even larger, especially on her account. She refused his claims to be able to keep going, at least once more, her mouth set in a firm line of determination. 

“Absolutely not.” She said, shaking her head firmly. “You’re hurt and I don’t want you to get hurt further.” She felt concern for her new friend, and was positive that another jump was the very last thing that he needed. “Besides, I think I’ve had an amazing time so far, anything else I did wouldn’t compare. Let’s get you some help mister.” She said, swimming to shore, but staying near Benedict’s side the whole way.

Benedict was ready to argue, but he felt a twinge of fear when she looked at him sternly. He felt like a little boy that might be in trouble. That in mind, he followed her quietly, and kept his teeth clenched to not show that he was in pain. He seemed to be more feminine to people on the island and he knew it. It bothered him a lot, so he did try to look manly when he got the chance. They got to the shore, and he walked with her, slightly following her lead. “I’m sorry to ruin the fun..”

Emma looked up at the tall man next to her. “Ruin it? Oh no! You didn’t. I had a lovely time, thank you for sharing those places with me. I’m going to have to come back and jump again.” She let out a light giggle. “I’m so sorry you got hurt! If anything, it was my fault for leaping first. I should have asked where the best spot to jump was, maybe we could have avoided the rocks that way.” She frowned at herself, making a mental note to be more sensible in the future, instead of just rushing in.

Benedict was a little relieved that Emma didn’t seem too unhappy with him, so he sped up his pace a little bit to keep up with her. The house wasn’t too far from the cliffs, so they got there somewhat quickly, and as they walked up the steps Benedict looked at her with a smile. “Well, I’m at least glad to find another daredevil.” He teased, still managing to keep his shoulders back in good posture even though it was stretching out his chest, and the wound.

Emma nodded in agreement. “I daresay you have. I’m very glad that I’m not the only one!” She replied in a cheerful tone. “How am I supposed to dress this?” He asked quietly, feeling like she had some idea as to how he was to do it. Emma headed straight for a closet she had found on one of her earlier explorations. It was full of things you might need in an emergency, or might find at a hospital. She reached onto one of the higher shelves and pulled out a roll of bandages and a some antibodics. “Maybe you should sit, it would probably be easier for you.” She gestured to a stool nearby. 

Benedict sat down like he was told, and watched her a long time while she got out the supplies and things. “I like your hair.” His voice rumbled as it always did, and he sat with his hands clasped together politely in his lap. “It’s even shorter than mine, I think. It’s pretty like that.” He explained with his crooked smile showing his teeth.  He thought another moment, trying to distract himself from worsening pain really. “What have your dreams been like so far?”

Emma looked up at him with a broad smile. “Thank you! I really enjoy having it short. Doesn’t get in my way She blushed a little at the compliment. “Thank you. I’m glad you find it pretty.” She said in a slightly softer voice. She gently covered his wound with the antibiotic ointment, making sure to cover every bit of the open wound to stop infection. “All the dreams that I’ve had, and they’ve been few, have been confusing. I see myself in front of a camera, displaying different emotions and wearing different clothes. And then there are times when I see myself in front of the camera, and I’m, posing. And I really have no idea why. I mean, I have ideas, but I’m not exactly sure if they’re true.” She paused, looking over at her patient. “Have you had any dreams?”

Benedict clenched his teeth, and hissed under his breath at the pain from touching the wound, but he was obviously still holding back. Anyone else would be literally be screaming. “Few girls have the face to pull it off.” He said quickly, trying to sound normal though pain laced his voice. “I bet you were a model. That’s what it sounds like to me.” He mumbled, thinking the camera gave it away. “I have a few dreams, but mostly just the same one.” He chewed his lip a moment. “Some just involve women.. the one I keep having is my parents and grandmother leaving me alone in the house when I’m just eight or nine, and they never come back.” He shook his head “I try so hard to see their faces before they leave each time but I never can..”

Emma was impressed at how he kept himself together. It looked incredibly painful and she could see just how much it bothered him. “Its possible.” Her heart ached at his story. “I’m so sorry, that’s horrible. I really honestly hope that you get to see them one of these times. Abanonment is just,” she shook her head firmly, “just awful.” Setting the medicine down she looked over the wound, noticing how deep it really was. “Benedict, I think I’m going to have to stitch it together. I don’t think it’ll heal otherwise.”

He looked down at his chest. It did look deep, and he didn’t doubt her judgment at all. But he didn’t really like the idea of putting a needle in his skin either. “… Do you really have to?” He looked at her with sort of puppy dog eyes, but he didn’t mean to. He just wanted to avoid it if he could. “I trust you if you think I should..” Even breathing hurt. His chest would stretch a bit more with each breath he took. It was actually lucky for him that he was in pretty good shape. It he’d had less muscle on his chest the rock would have hit his collar bone and broken it. 

“It’s just, it’s so deep. I’m not sure if it would seal on its own.” She tried to cheer the situation up a bit, “I won’t miss or anything. I’ve found that I have a firm grip.” She froze a bit when he looked down at her, contemplating if she should stitch or not. Her brain went with the former option. She hurried to the living room, looking for a sewing kit she had found stashed into one of the corner cabinets. She rushed back to Benedict, pulling out a needle that was sitting among colored thread. Emma looked over at him, smiling, trying to make this moment less antagonizing. “Any specific color you want?”

Benedict looked a little determined to remain manly, and took a deep breath. “I’m so sorry if you’re squeamish. I don’t mean to gross you out.” He explained, feeling his cheeks redden, and his ears get warmer “You’re not, not at all. I have this feeling that I’ve seen worse, much worse than this, and it doesn’t bother me, so no worries.” Emma smiled reassuringly.

It seemed like he was a little scared but he shook his head. “You can pick.. put your favorite color.” He said, trying to distract himself as well. It was embarrassing to say the least, especially with a pretty girl that he might have fancied just a teeny bit. “That way I’ll feel better when I see the color because I’ll remember you helping me.”

“Well, if you’re sure.” Not e _veryone_ liked the color purple. So she hoped that Benedict wouldn’t dislike it too horribly. Emma reached into the bucket of rainbow colors and pulled out a dark purple, almost an eggplant shade. Carefully, she threaded the needle then set it next to his lighter skin. “Alright, I’m starting now.” She warned him as she began to sew the wound up, slowly but steadily.

Benedict jumped right away at the feeling of the needle. Oh, it burned with the thread going through his skin, and he bit his lip really hard. He didn’t make a sound as hard as it was.

Emma noticed his reaction and her heart felt sick. “I am so sorry this hurts. I tried to find some anesthetic, but there wasn’t any.” She swallowed the amount of guilt she felt for making him hurt more than he already did.  “It’s really kind of you.” He winced, his voice showing his pain a little more than when he was just silent. He did keep his eyes shut, mostly to keep from crying. Tears did rim his eyelids nonetheless, he couldn’t really hold them back.

She set her mind to finishing it as soon as she possibly could. The work was repetitive so it was easy for her to quickly understand the best way to sew his wound up. She could hear the ticking of a clock from nearby, counting every passing second as she neared the end of the cut. ”Of course.” She spoke quietly as she tied the final knot, making sure the stitches were secure. “There’s no way I would just leave you like that.”

Benedict stayed very quiet so as not to give away that he was in so much pain. He waited patiently for her to finish, and finally one tear ran down his cheek as Emma tied the string, and finished. “Thank you.” He said quietly, nearly ready to faint from holding in all the pain he’d been through. “It was fine, really.” He tried to resume his perfect polite composure  but his voice was still a little shaky. “That was kind of you to do, miss. Worrying over me like that.” Benedict had been rather used to the ladies on the island taking care of him. He’d just be wondering into the kitchen to look for food and someone would always order him to sit down while they cooked something for him, or he’d go to do laundry and one of the women would offer to do it for him. This wasn’t really very different. 

Emma carefully put the thread back in the box, but kept the needle out, intending to throw it away. “You were hurt. Of course I’m going to worry about you.” She turned her eyes back to Benedict. “I think you should extremely consider taking it easy until that is all healed. No more jumping off cliffs. Or I’ll have to stitch you up again.” She said, a flash of humor in her eyes. She hoped he would be alright with sitting around. She knew some people, like her roommate for instance, didn’t like to be indoors and just sitting around doing things that were low maintenance for very long.

Benedict listened closely, and didn’t intend to disobey her at all. Hard as it would be, he’d take it a little easier. “What are we to do the rest of the evening then?” He asked quietly, and looked at her with curious green and blue eyes. He probably shouldn’t have even been walking with the amount of blood he’d lost, and he still had salt water all over him. He’d at least need a shower then to lie down. Sure that’s what he should have been doing, that didn’t mean he wanted to. “Can we go for a run? Or play ball or something?”

Emma watched him as he asked several questions. The last one made her smile and laugh, she couldn’t help it. She had a horrible image for half a second of him re-tearing his wound as he threw a ball. No, she didn’t want that. Emma thought of things they could do, there was actually several possibilities. “A walk would be better than a run, for now. And its better than sitting around. There’s loads of things we could do. A friend of mine showed me a recipe for some phenomenally good cookies, if you’re into baking. We could, make a sand castle.” She said, mainly because she had made one the other day and it was ridiculously fun, although the idea was a bit childish so she didn’t know if Benedict enjoyed those. “Or,” the last option had just slipped into her mind from nothing, but she decided to mention it anyways, ”I could challenge you to a game of chess.” She gestured to him with her hand, “But you decide. I’m fine with any of those things or something else, it  really doesn’t matter to me.”

Benedict thought over all the possibilities that she presented, and took a deep breath. “Hm.. I want to build a sand castle, but it seems to be getting dark.” He mumbled looking toward the window. “We could go out on my balcony and play chess.” He offered, smiling. “I suppose we could just play chess or watch a movie in my room if you don’t think it would be considered improper.. I mean being along in the room..” He said, thinking maybe that wouldn’t be a good idea, otherwise Emma would look bad. She was so pretty, and he admittedly thought so. If it weren’t for his friend having a crush on her, he probably would have pursued her right away. That was exactly why he realized it wasn’t a good idea to end up alone together, he’d end up admitting that to her. “Maybe I should just go now.. I need a shower before anything..”

Emma took a look out the window. “We’ll have to do that sand castle another day. They’re just so fun, it’s hard not to want to create one,” She smiled at the thought. There was so many ways to do make them. “Both of those sound incredibly fun.” She shook her head no. “I don’t think it would be improper, seeing as I’ve been in rooms of other friends of mine, and we’ve done things like watching movies when it’s just us in the room.” Emma felt a bit disappointed about the thought of him leaving. She thought he was very intriguing, not to mention handsome, and she had enjoyed spending time with him that day. She felt like she wanted to repeat a day like this, one without injuries however. She put on a smile and continued to speak normally, “That’s probably a good idea. You’ll want to get all the salt water off, so it doesn’t leak into the wound.”

“I actually love sand castles.” Benedict admitted, and took a clean dish rag from next to the stove they were near. He took Emma’s hand gently, and started rubbing it gently with the rag. She had a bit of blood on her hands, and he felt a little guilty about it. “I made a big sculpture of a frog a week or two ago, but it’s rained since then.” Taking the fact that Emma was willing to watch a movie or something, Benedict thought through what they might do. “If you were alright with it, I could take a quick shower if you would wait in the bedroom. Then we could get the chess board out or something” He smiled, and put the rag down on the counter again and reluctantly let go of her hand. His hands were so big compared to hers, well.. compared to anyone’s. He always liked that he could wrap his hand around the other person’s entirely. 

Emma blinked several times when Benedict took her hand, gently wiping off the small remains of his blood that had rubbed onto her skin when she had taken care of the slice in his chest. She had been surprised, but had also felt a twinge of pleasure at the soft touch. Emma nodded, thinking that it sounded like the best way to do it. “That seems rather nice. Yes, I’m alright with it, I don’t mind waiting.” Her eyes trailed to the cloth as he set it down, then back to their hands. Her fingers twitched slightly after he had let go, almost like she could still feel them in his grip.

Benedict stood from the chair and started to lead Emma toward the stairs. His room was a few floors up, and then a long walk down the hall from there. He was unusually silent, and glanced at her once and a while like there was something on his mind. “.. So have you met Chris yet?” He asked after another silent moment.

Emma followed Benedict down the many hallways as they headed to his room. There were several moments of quietness between the two of them as they walked. She was unsure if she should say something, or just leave him to his thoughts. She was quite sure that he was thinking about her in some aspect because of the few times she saw him glance over at her. She was just about to say something, ask what was on his mind when he asked her if she’d been up with Chris yet. Emma nodded, “Yes, yes I have. I met him in the kitchen my second night here. I’m assuming you know him as well then.”

“Oh yes..” Benedict answered, and kept his gaze down and chewed his lip nervously. “What do you think of him?” Emma responded pretty quickly, there was no need to stop and think about the matter since it was a straight on question and an opinionated one at that. ”I think he’s a very friendly young man, and I’ve enjoyed the time I spent with him.” She noticed the way he bit his lip, almost like a nervous habit, and wondered if there was more under the surface. Benedict opened the door and Emma peered inside, curious about the layout of his room.

The room was cozy, and decorated a lot more rustic than the other rooms in the building. He looked around it a moment, and ran over to tidy up his bed. It had stuffed owls and books scattered all over it. He arranged them nicely quickly, then smiled over at Emma. “So.. you can just sit.. and um.. I’ll shower.” He patted the bed to offer her a seat. 

She smiled widely, it was really nice, the way the room sat and everything inside was placed about. “This is lovely.” Her quick eyes noticed the owls and books strewn on the bed, which Benedict had promptly moved. She wanted to ask him what books he had been reading, but figured there’d be time to ask that later. Emma took a seat on the bed, smiling back. “Sounds good. Enjoy your shower.”

Benedict smiled and looked over at the bathroom. “I’ll be right back.” He smiled, and ran into the bathroom. The shower went over as always. It was same as always aside from the searing pain from the cut. He was so embarrassed that she saw him get hurt like that. He felt like such a baby.  He got out of the shower and dried off quickly then put the towel around his waist. Cracking open the door, he looked around the room, realizing he didn’t have any clothes in there. “Emma? Love could you look away a moment? I forgot to bring in a change of clothes.”

Emma had been taking in every bit of the flat. She thought the pieces of furniture might have been moved around a bit, if the indentions on the rug were anything to go by. She heard Benedict call out to her. Answering immediately, “Of, of course.” she turned around, her back to the bathroom door. She covered her face with her hands, maybe unnecessary but better safe than sorry for both their sakes. She could just imagine what the others might say if someone walked in on the wrong time. She grimaced before calling out again. “Alright, you’re clear! I can’t see anything.”

“So sorry..” Benedict mumbled and walked quickly over to the dresser that she was facing. Luckily she’d covered her eyes. He pulled open the drawer and got out as well as put on a pair of boxers and pajama pants. “Alright, you can look. Do you suppose I need a shirt?” He asked, and looked at his newly stitched wound “Would the cloth bother it?” He held a tee shirt in his hands and thought it over for a moment. He didn’t want to make her uncomfortable by walking around half naked, though he did prefer less clothing. 

Emma pulled away her hands, a bit surprised that he was standing in front of her. Looks like the turn hadn’t been necessary after all. She put the palms of her hands on the bed, one on either side of her and leaned back a little, using her hands as support. She looked down at the shirt in his hands. “Honestly, I don’t think you need it. The open air would be good for it, all the exposure.” She shrugged, “Either way it doesn’t matter. Your wound isn’t going to slow its healing down if you do or don’t put a shirt on.” She said with a broad smile.

Benedict nodded, and pulled the shirt on with a smile. It was better to be safe than sorry.. so he figured that would be best. Once he was done, he flopped onto his back on the bed next to her. He closed his eyes, and hugged one of the owls against his chest, then smiled over at Emma. He wanted more and more to chase her a bit. He’d been so lonely the past few days in this very room. He still stayed silent however. Emma would be Chris’s girl soon enough, and Benedict would just need to deal with it. His conflict sort of made it hard for him to think of something to say.

Emma looked at the owl, it seemed similar to a child’s teddy bear almost. Yet it was sweet, the way he held it. She smiled back at him. “You have a lot of those owls in the flat. Were they here when you choose the flat?” Then her mind trailed off on another path, and how, right before she had entered his living quarters, he’d asked if she knew Chris. They hadn’t been talking about him or anything related to him, so why had he asked her if they had met?

"So, I’m sorry, but I’m curious. Why did you ask if I knew Chris? It was out of the blue, so any reason why you mentioned it?”

Benedict sat up, and still held the owl in his lap. The one he held of all of them was the most under stuffed and worn out, but he liked it. “I found them in the attic.” He smiled over at them all on a pile at the end of the bed. “I love owls.. So I brought them all down here.. they sort of remind me of something from my life before.. I’m not really sure what.” 

 “They’re brilliant birds.” Emma paused, thinking about a dream she had had recently about owls that flew carrying the post to specific people. “Oh really? That’s neat, maybe you were,” She bit her bottom lip absentmindedly, thinking of how owls might be related to his past. “An owl trainer or something?” She let out a laugh, realizing how silly that sounded.

“I don’t know about that.” Benedict laughed “They remind me of how I used to sleep somehow, as if I had a collection in my room before.” He explained, and hugged the one he was holding once more. “I don’t know why, I just like them.” They were very intelligent birds and Emma admired them. “What’s not to like?”

His gaze fixed on the owl in his lap though he listened to Emma. He hadn’t a clue what to tell her about Chris. He had been Benedict’s only guy friend for the longest time there. He assumed he and Emma had already gotten together since Chris told him that he liked her. Benedict wouldn’t want to steal her, not that he really thought that he could. He was the ugliest guy on the island, in his own mind at least. “Oh, I just was wondering how you two were getting along. He’s a great guy, you’d be happy with him I think.”

“Getting along? I don’t truly know, I haven’t seen him in three or four days.” She lifted a hand to her face, brushing some of her bangs that had flopped onto her forehead, back behind her ear. Sometimes her hair was a nuisance, even though it was cut short it still would get in the way occasionally. “We explored the house a bit my first night here.” Emma looked outside, thinking of the places they had gone, and it had been fun. “But I haven’t seen him since.” She was very surprised at the last comment and she turned her head back to look at Benedict. “What do you mean? Like, as a couple?”

“Yeah, I don’t know, I just think you would..” He said, not planning to give away Chris’s secret. He’d not want to talk behind his back anyway. He was about to speak again, but he suddenly felt a bit of pain in his new cut. “Ahh.. I think I might go to bed..” He said after a minute. “I’m just getting tired.. could we see each other tomorrow?” He was incredibly sad to have to separate. Hell he’d have her sleep the night, but he never could ask that of her. He liked her more and more. “Please..?”

”That’s interesting..” She said quietly. She noticed him become almost uncomfortable and then mention sleep. “Oh goodness, I am so sorry. You’re probably exhausted right now.” She got up off the bed and stood straight up. “I should have let you sleep right away.” She felt embarrassed, she really should have let him sleep before now. When he mentioned something about seeing her tomorrow, she felt a smile creep onto her face. “Yes, I think I’d like that.” She walked back to his door opening it all the way. Putting her hand on the knob, Emma turned around once more. “Good night Benedict. Thank you again for exploring with me today. It was lovely.” She closed the door behind her, leaving him to sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N The scene in Italics is Benedict remembering what happened between him and Lucy, in full detail

Ian woke in the white room cold, drowsy and completely alone. He spotted the folder nearby with the word, _Ian Somerhalder_ , on the front. He reached out and grabbed it, knowing that it belonged to him, even if he had no idea why he knows this information. Why he recognizes the name. Only that it felt good, felt right.

He opened it and began to read, when he noticed that inside, two words catch his eye. _Career: Writer._ _A.. writer? Author maybe?_ When was he a writer? Was it professionally, simply for personal enjoyment? Or maybe he wrote for someone else? Ian flexed his hand, imagining holding a ballpoint pen, feeling an overwhelming want to paint words on a piece of paper. If he was supposedly a writer, what did he write? Just anything? Ian was clueless, he had no memories of the activity, and possible career.

Where did this information come from, if even _he_ could not remember being a writer? Ian stood up, stretching before he quickly exited the room, entering the breezy beach air outside. Only after an annoyingly long walk through many more white hallways in that.. sleep building. He could hear the sound of waves nearby. A flash of light on the sand made him close his eyes in pain and in his mind he saw a face, a woman’s face. He felt something, a deep feeling of longing. She seemed familiar, and he had the sense that some explanations of the dark corners of his past lie with her. Maybe she could explain all the confusion that existed in his head, unsure of his identity.

He looked around to see that he was standing on sand, a beach. A beach can tend to stretch on forever. Was he all alone? There were several other rooms like the one he had been in, but there had been no other people there that he had seen. Did they already leave their sleep rooms? Slowly, a grin spread over his handsome face and he rubbed his hands together. It seemed like he had some discovering to do.

_______________________

To have her roommate suddenly disappear was not something Emma had expected. She hurried down the elegant front staircase, the banister twirling down its curving length. Her feet stepped quickly down the marble steps, not wanting to be away from her packing for long. There wasn’t very much, but she wanted to get the job done. Constantine had gone missing, and it had been quite a while since she had seen him. Emma figured that he had finally gone and moved in with his girlfriend, forgetting to leave a note. They’d only been roommates for a little under than a week now.

It felt very awkward living in his room. Yes, they had shared it, but nonetheless, she almost felt like an intruder now. She had found another room that she fancied and had begun to move into. The only things left for her to do now was to finish moving the last bits of clothing into her new room, as well as her box of bathroom supplies. Most everything had already been moved. Emma went into the kitchen and headed straight for the fridge. Swinging it open she looked in the door seeing several bottles of water, the very thing she had come down for. When she grabbed one, she closed the dark door of the fridge and heard footsteps behind her. She turned around, smiling when she noticed it was Benedict.

“Good afternoon, love.” Benedict pipped cheerfully at her, and walked past her toward the counter on the opposite side of the kitchen that had a plate of rice crispy treats on it. Benedict had a sweet tooth that got the best of him more often than naught.  Taking one of the treats, then starting to munch on it, he sat up on the counter and smiled at her, mostly because he was happy to have a sweet.  “Good afternoon to you! How are you feeling? Any better at all?” Emma opened the cap of her bottle and pulled the liquid up to her lips, taking a long drink. She saw him take one of the treats and briefly wondered who had made them.

Benedict nodded; sleep had helped with his injury a little. “What are you up to? You look tired.” He asked, and ran a hand through his curls as if it would make them look any better. His outfit was different from the day before. Now he had on a tight white tee shirt, and black jeans with converse. The shirt was light enough for his cut to be seen through it, but it didn’t seem to be bleeding anymore.

A breeze blew through one of the many open windows, brushing up against Emma’s shorts. She hadn’t really thought about her outfit that morning, instead just grabbing and putting on some dark jean shorts and a light grey tee shirt, both pieces that were comfortable for constantly moving about in. She smiled back at him before speaking again. “I’m packing actually. I’ve been moving my things all morning because I’m switching rooms.”

“Oh god, do you need any help?” He raised his eyebrows, and looked a little concerned for her a moment, taking note of her clothing. It was cute even though he was sure it was just because she was moving that day. “If you want to spare five minutes or so I’d love the help. I’m almost done, I only have to move a few boxes to my new place.” Emma nodded, her smile widening. “Won’t you come and sit down?” Benedict asked with a smile, and patted the counter next to him.

“Why not? That looks like a comfortable counter.” She set her water down and hopped up next to Benedict, her legs swinging as she took a seat. “Oh yes, very comfortable.” She noticed that he was still beaming away. He had one of those smiles that was massively contagious. One couldn’t help but smile in his cheerful presence.  Benedict sat happily a moment, still crunching on a rice crispy treat. He laughed with her. “Oh yes, the most comfortable counter in the house.” He teased.

“I could help you move things if you wanted.. I don’t suppose it would hurt too badly..” Benedict looked incredibly cheery that morning, he was just happy as could be. “After that are you busy? I have got to show you the roof. It’s really nice up there.” The roof was reachable? Emma perked up at this news. Yet another place for her to explore. She smiled, anticipating it. “No actually, after I finish that task, I’m free the whole day. The roof sounds lovely, I didn’t know we could get up there.”

Benedict grinned, remembering what a rush he had experienced when he had jumped off the roof, more times than once. It was perfectly safe, there were trees that his hands would grab and hold the rest of him to. Most of the time he would just sit on the ledge looking down at the ocean. “I’ll help you set your room all up, then we can go up there.” He offered, and stood up. One of his eyebrows raised, and he offered a hand to help her down.

“Well sir Benedict,” she answered, watching him hop down, “I would be delighted to join you. It sounds like another adventure, of sorts.” She placed her hand to his extended one. She slid off the counter, standing next to him. Her eyes strayed to their hands. Emma removed hers, already having it linger a few seconds too long. “Thank you for your help. I really appreciate it.”

Benedict waited for her to take the lead, then followed her with a smile. He smirked and tousled her hair gently. He had to admit that he really liked how short her hair was. It looked so sweet on her, and he always just wanted to mess it up. “Perhaps this time I won’t get any scratches.” He laughed.  _Thank you for your help. I really appreciate it._ No one ever had said that before to Benedict. He didn’t quite understand how to react for a moment before smiling. He couldn’t remember being appreciated before.

Emma threw him a smile when she felt his hand on her head. She liked how carefree he was, so happy in speech and gestures. ”I think your body would like that. Considering as you already have one enormous scratch covering your chest.” She let out a giggle. Emma opened the door to her soon-to-be old room. She walked over to one of the beds and picked up two of the three boxes that were sitting on her bed. “The packing’s already finished so all I have left is to move these boxes to my new place and then unpack my things.”

Benedict ran and took the boxes from her right away and looked a bit horrified. “Oh, my dear! Don’t concern yourself lifting all this.” Benedict said, and gave her a wink just to show he was half kidding. He’d carry all the boxes himself if she’d let him. In fact he’d insist upon it. He could hold them relatively easily. After all, the boy swung himself from trees just by his arms. He was at least a little muscular. “I’ll carry them, you just lead the way.”

Emma was a bit startled when he took the boxes from her grip, but was pleased at the same time that he would be kind enough to carry them for her. “Thank you Benedict.” She said, smiling softly. “You won’t have to carry them far, the room is pretty close to here.” She held the door open for him as they left, with Emma leading the way to her new flat. It really wasn’t very far, just up one flight of stairs and a little ways down the corridor above that. She watched him carefully as the ascended the stairs, making sure she could help catch something just in case he needed it. She showed him the door that was now hers, opening it up and holding it for him once more. The room wasn’t a penthouse suite, but it suited her and she liked it very much.

Benedict looked around the room as they got in. It was beautiful. He’d never been on that side of the building before. It seemed to suit Emma much better being in a flat of her own like this one. “Oh this is very nice.” Benedict mumbled. Actually he was speaking clearly, his voice was just low as ever, which normally made him sound like he was mumbling. “It suits you better here.” There was something to be said for staying in a nice small, cozy room as opposed to staying in the most luxurious room one could find. After all, that’s what Benedict had done. He chose a place that felt homey, warm.

“Thank you.” Emma took a look around the place. It was still the exact way that she had found it, she saw no reason to change anything. “I really really like it. It seems, well, I don’t know, me-ish. ” She liked how the colors mixed with each other, she liked the layout of room, to be honest, she simply liked the whole thing. She looked back at Benedict to notice that he was still holding the boxes. Her eyes widened and she quickly pointed to the small pile of boxes next to the curtain. “Oh, I’m sorry, you can set those down with the others.”

“I am capable of holding a few boxes.” Benedict chuckled and set them down extremely gently on the ground next to the other piles. “My, you’ve got quite a bit to unpack..” Benedict said looking over the boxes, then he smiled back at Emma. He would never admit it, but he grew more and more attracted to her. She was just right in every way. Amazingly after all he should have learned from giving his heart away too fast, he could feel himself slipping each moment. “Do you want me to help?”

 “Yes, I did have more to take with me than I first thought.” Emma said with a smile, listening as he offered to continue to help her get settled. If it meant spending more time with him, more than they might have originally planned, she was definitely going to say yes. She wondered if his kindness was bottomless. He was always so polite and friendly and willing to help out; the perfect gentleman. She knew from the time that she had spent with him yesterday that she had some feelings for Benedict, feelings that were creeping past the line of friendship. The longer she was with him the more she could feel those feelings growing stronger. She mentally scolded herself. She needed to get a grip on her emotions, after all, they’d known each other only a few days, and it would be almost impossible for him to return the feelings. “If you don’t mind unpacking books and art supplies and other random things I’d love to have your help. We’ll be able to reach the roof faster at any rate.”

Benedict started to open one of the boxes. “Art supplies and books, hmm?” He raised an eyebrow at her, and thought. “What sorts of books do you read? I’ve sort of been reading everything, but mostly textbooks, and encyclopedias..” He mumbled, almost hoping she didn’t hear the last bit. Half the people thought he was boring, but he enjoyed rather dry reading material. It was just another quirk of his.

 Emma sat next to Benedict, pulling items out of the box. “Yes, I do have quite a few books in my collection. Oh honestly, I’ll read pretty much anything. I discovered the library. And there’s so many books it’s hard to know where to start. But I’m making my way through them all by genre, starting with history.” She smiled, hearing him talk softer than he had been. “Those are both really great types of books. You can learn so much from them.”

“Of course I try to read anything, it’s just the scientific subjects keep my attention the most. After all that’s more of the reason that I enjoy falling from heights so much. It’s a way of experiencing the finer laws of physics.” He stopped himself there before he started to ramble scientific formulas at her. There were another few reasons that he liked the rush of excitement. It made him feel a little more manly than he normally felt just because it did take a bit of bravery to risk like that.

“I haven’t made my way to the science section yet. I take it physics is your preferred science then?” Emma hadn’t buried her nose in a scientific book just yet, although she wasn’t against the idea. She figured she’d be able to read every book in the library during their stay on the island, at least that was her goal.

“Actually, it’s probably cosmology that I prefer. Then again those two are very similar. They sort of overlap. Cosmology is like the physics of the universe and stars.” He spoke very quickly as if his brain was moving faster than his speech could keep up with. He looked pretty happy just to be able to talk about it without feeling he was boring someone to death. “I’ve never heard of that before. That is incredible. I’m going to have to look for a book of cosmology now.” Emma was fascinated by his obvious passion for it, and was about to ask him another question when Benedict beat her to it. “Your new flat is lovely, but I hope.. Constantine didn’t make you leave did he..?”

Emma smiled, shaking her head to null his possible worries. “No, no nothing like that. I haven’t seen him in a little while though, I figured he finally moved in with his girlfriend, but its so awkward living there now..” Benedict listed quietly, watching her while she spoke. Constantine didn’t have a girlfriend, at least to his knowledge. Hell, he could have been completely wrong, he didn’t know the full extent of others’ lives like some people here did. “A while..? Is there a possibility he’s.. disappeared?” Benedict was hesitant to ask, he didn’t want to frighten Emma or anything.

Emma pulled her head up from the book in her hands _The Diary of Anne Frank_ before she answered, slightly confused. “Disappeared? What do you mean.. _disappeared_?” Oh. So she hadn’t known about the disappearing factor. Benedict shrugged, trying to downplay it, but not too much. She would hear about it sooner or later.. “Sometimes, people who live here leave. They disappear. Usually, if they’ve been gone more than a week, they stay gone. Because they don’t come back, none of us know what happens to them. I think we’ve all just assumed that they wander into the woods and get lost.”

There wasn’t much room for speculation outside of that, no one really knew what had happened. “Its sad, for those who interacted with the others, the lost islanders, because you never see them again.” Oh god, that was too depressing wasn’t it? “But it doesn’t happen too often! I think that only three or so have left.” Emma nodded slowly, still trying to understand it all.  How horrible… especially if there was anyone here still waiting for that person. Benedict bit his lip as the silence began to fill the space around them. Trying to make it less awkward he ventured back to their previous topic. He gently picked the book up and off Emma’s lap while he thought, his mind running so many places at once.

Benedict took a deep breath, and thought a moment, his mind wondering into theories from Stephen Hawking. “I know it’s odd to enjoy reading physics textbooks, and spend time on long impossible equations for fun.” Benedict said in defense of himself, and shot Emma a crooked smile. “Everyone has something from their old life to cling to.. science is what I have.” He’d told people that theory so many times but it was true. Heck, he could ramble about that theory too. “In ‘the Diary of Anne Frank’ that exact thing happens the same as here. Each of the main girl’s family members has something that they brought with them into hiding, and it sort of gives them hope and holds memories from their old life. I understand our situation is much better but the main principal is morally-” Benedict suddenly stopped and bit his lip. “Sorry, I get wrapped up in these sorts of things..”

She stopped unpacking, currently in the middle of pulling out a paintbrush when Benedict cut himself off. “Don’t apologize. It’s great that someone else finds these things interesting. That’s not a bad thing.” She paused, trying to think of a way to prove her point. “I see history a little similar to how you view science. At least, I understand your passion for science. You love a subject and understand it and it completely fascinates you. History is real and true stories from our past. Maybe we don’t have all our memories, but we don’t have to be completely oblivious about our race’s past That helps with the memory loss, and every moment of staying here, knowing that there are hard cold facts that can’t be changed about the Earth’s past in general. History is something that can’t be erased, or be debated about for purpose of being. Like us and why we’re here.” She shut her mouth, hoping that he wasn’t annoyed at her ramblings. Science was a completely different subject than history. She shrugged, trying to not let her unexpected babble get to her as she looked back down at the paintbrush in her hands.

He listened to her explaining why she loved learning so much, and every word made total sense to him. “That is exactly how I view it! Science is constant no matter where you are, especially when talking about stars. Wherever you are on earth, the facts about stars remain the same. You can always look up at night, and they will always be there despite your location.” Benedict chuckled quietly, and noticed her looking down. “So you’re in good company to feel passionate about that sort of thing.” He gave her a reassuring smile that made his eyes squint just slightly.

Emma was very happy that someone got it. She had hoped that she didn’t sound too boring. “Then it’s good to know who to run to if I’m ever in the mood for a educational conversation. I don‘t know about you, but there’s several times where I’ve wanted to discuss theories and ideas with someone and have them debate and discuss back. Its loads of fun when you can find someone who’ll do it.” She had a fleeting sensation that she was the type of person who would debate things of all sorts before this, somewhere in her past. Emma pulled her head up, a completely random thought coming to her head. “This is so off-topic, but do you know if there’s a telescope here? This place is so big, there’s probably a telescope somewhere, but have you found one by any chance? It would be amazing to view the stars through one.”

 “Actually I have one.” Benedict said. He was no longer smiling, but he wasn’t less happy. He simply was in thought. It was always so easy to tell when he was thinking or nervous because he’d run his hand along his left hip and thigh. It was mostly because he was thinking in this case, and he chewed the corner of his lip. “It’s actually in my bedroom, but I rarely use it. The time of night that’s best for star gazing, I’m normally outside in my tree. Well it’s not really  _my_ tree.. I just sit in it a lot. It’s sort of here I go to be alone, I suppose we all have a spot like that.”

Emma stood up, grabbing the box she had just finished emptying, as well as another one that had been previously emptied and set them down by the bed, making sure they were out of the way as the unpacking progressed. She fully understood what Benedict was saying, even though she didn’t have a place like that of her own quite yet. This island was one that seemed like both a haven and a nightmare, depending on circumstances.

“And believe me, if you are willing to listen without dying of boredom, I’ll certainly enjoy debating with you a bit.” Emma slid back down to the floor after his comment, pulling up another box to her side to empty. “I might have to take you up on that offer. It’ll be interesting to see who wins the first debate; because I don’t think I could ever die from boredom with something like that.” This box had several more of her books, so she set them aside in a pile of other books that had been steadily growing

“I haven’t actually met anyone interested in much more than sex here.” Benedict chuckled then thought a moment. “Oh, god, that was mean. I didn’t mean to talk about everyone else so meanly. They mean well..” She kept quiet, thinking about what he had mentioned about the other islander’s interests. Emma knew, even from her short time here, that drama was constantly in the air. Her thoughts went briefly to her old roommate and the girls he had been involved with. She leaned back against the bed, pulling her knees up to her chest. “Are they really so sex driven?”

Benedict moved to sit next to her a little sad that he’d said anything so mean. It was true though. So many of them would gladly sleep around as much as they could no matter how awkward it would be to see their partners around the house every day after. It sounded awful to him, after all he’d had messy break ups without any sex involved and it was still awkward as could be. “Sadly, most of them are.” Benedict said quietly, and hugged his knees against his chest. “I suppose whatever makes them happy.. I just feel sorry for these girls that get their hearts broken by it.” The thought of breaking a girl’s heart wasn’t something he was glad to bring up, and as soon as he mentioned it something horrible came into his mind and he looked obviously ashamed. His past here was already so awful as for romance. 

“But, even if it makes them happy before or during, isn’t there awkwardness between the two that is created from it being just a one night stand? Do, do they even consider that? Does either partner think about the possibility that whomever they’re shagging can develop feelings that would affect them both?” Emma let out a sigh. It made her feel down right awful that people would sleep around and some meaning nothing by it. She felt that once someone decided to have sex, that it should mean something, from both sides. She crossed her arms, putting her hands on her shoulders and laying her chin on her arm. Why did people not think that their actions affected someone else, ninety nine percent of the time? She paused, swallowing a lump in her throat that had appeared for no clear reason before responding once more. “A broken heart is an awful thing.”

“I’m glad there’s at least one lady on the island..” Benedict smiled gently over at her. There was more than one, Benedict had been friends, and even romantic, with a few women there that had been perfectly fine and weren’t the type to sleep around at all, but Emma still seemed different from them. He chuckled quietly, but it sounded a little sad. “I’m afraid I’ve been the cause of one or two broken hearts just since I’ve gotten here.” He admitted. He hated keeping things from people. “It’s a rather long story, but I have.. I suppose that’s the only important fact..”

Emma had spoken a soft word of thanks, tilting her head to the side to return the smile at his compliment. From what he had mentioned from the start of the subject, she assumed that Benedict had kept himself out of the sex circle, but she also wondered how many others had decided not to have sex as well. She kept silent, the only noise she made were the breaths she took as he confessed to hurting someone, more than one someone. Emma could hear the sad side of his voice. He didn’t draw attention to it, but it was still ringing out loud and clear. She frowned, her eyebrows drawing together, wondering if the entirety of his sadness came from just being the cause of hurting others. “Would, would you like to talk about it? It looks like its eating you up. I mean.. if you don’t want to, please don’t think you have to. Just.. if you want to talk, you should know that I’m more than willing to listen.” She had already met several people who had some area of sadness, a depressed side of them and she wanted to do anything she could to help them out.

“It was eating me up for a long time.” Benedict nodded slowly and looked over at Emma. He might as well have told her now that he’d admitted it. “I was dating a young lady here at the time, and one day I was sitting up in a tree near my friend’s house. My friend, she lived outside in this tent thing, and her bathroom was sort of open to the forest. I didn’t realize it but she’d been taking a bath and she could see me from where she was.. I was just reading.” Benedict took a deep breath, remembering all the different times that he could have stopped what happened. His eyes shut as the memories came flooding back.

____________________________________

_Lucy decided that a soak in her tub might be a good idea today. She filled it up with hot water, hoping to relax her muscles a bit, as well as fragranced oil so she could really relax and enjoy herself. Climbing into the wooden tub, she settled into a comfortable seated position and drew a deep breath._

_Benedict had set out from the house earlier that day wearing his light blue trunks, and a button up shirt that was left unbuttoned. He carried a novel in one hand, and walked through the forest trying to find a nice spot to read. He’d not noticed Lu’s little building as he found a good tree to climb up. It was close enough to the building that she could see him from where she sat, even once he climbed up high in the limbs. He sat on a nice, wide branch, and smiled as he looked around. He could see the entire island. The only place higher than that spot was the roof of the house. He opened the new book with a smile._

_Her relaxation didn’t last long, however. She soon heard someone’s feet crunching on the gravel close by and turned to see Benedict heading towards her, oblivious. Not bothering to cover up at all, she watched as Benedict made his way past her, thinking it was kind of funny how oblivious he was to his surroundings. It was only when he’d climbed the tree and was sitting on the branch that she finally spoke up.  “Another physics book?” she asked him, still not bothering to cover up. She figured that he was in her bathroom more or less, that she didn’t need to be the one to hide anything._

_Benedict jumped, and nearly fell down the nearly two stories of height he’d climbed. He caught himself on a branch and looked down to see where the voice had come from. Once he saw Lu he nearly fell out of the tree again. She was naked… she was really naked. Just on a single glance his eyes widened and his mouth gaped open just for a moment before he forced himself to only have direct eye contact. What guy wouldn’t get a little excited from the sight no matter how he’d deny it. He didn’t mean to look at her body at all in the first place. “Oh.. um..” He cleared his throat. “I-it’s a novel.. ‘the breast of times’… BEST.. the title is ‘the best of times..!” he fumbled over his words, and literally would not break eye contact with her._

_“Light reading this time? Took a break from the hard stuff?” she asked, perking an eyebrow. She broke the eye contact and reached for her bath poof and started to wash her arm. “Anything interesting happen since the bonfire last night?” she asked conversationally. She didn’t care that he was looking, she wasn’t exactly shy._

_“Um.. yes..” He smiled, a bit flustered, and looked at the book once she broke eye contact. He didn’t want to risk looking at her inappropriately again. “I-if you’d just cover yourself I could climb down and leave you to your bath” He stared at the words on the page, but his mind couldn’t compute what any of it said. “I didn’t mean to intrude, I didn’t realize your home was so close to here..”_

_“Didn’t I give you a tour of my home a few days ago? I thought I showed you around the kitchen and bath and all that” she shrugged. “Plus, I’m in the bath which you interrupted, Benedict, I’m not going to climb out just to fetch a towel, get it wet and only have to climb back in to finish my bath. Besides, we’re all adults here, I’m sure we’ve all seen naked people in the past, even if we don’t remember it” Lucy shrugged, starting to wash her other arm._

_That wasn’t necessarily true. Benedict had a few memories.. rather several of sexual encounters, and such but he obviously wouldn’t admit that. And memories are often less vivid as time passes. “Should I not leave then?” Just looking at the dull pages of the book his imagination sort of forced the image of her there into his mind. He rested his forehead against the trunk of the tree, and shut his eyes in passive frustration._

_It really didn’t matter to Lucy. She was fine with either that he decided to do. “Stay or go, I’m not really bothered.” she said, being completely honest. Raising a leg out of the water, she started to wash her foot, making sure to get between her toes before starting to wash her calf. A soft hum started to escape from her, enjoying her bath, regardless if he was still there or not. After cleaning her other leg, she looked up at him still high in the tree. “You could be useful and wash my back, you know…”_

_Benedict’s eyes widened at the thought. Yes he could.. go down there and do that, it was just the slightest bit tempting, but he didn’t feel completely comfortable putting himself in that situation. “…. I’d.. rather not.. j-just in case I were to mistakenly get a glance of you” He said quietly, still trying to be the gentleman he always was. It wasn’t right for him to take advantage of the situation. “Couldn’t you reach on your own?”_

_Lucy peered around to look at him, turning so that she didn’t have to keep crooking her neck. “If I could, do you think I would’ve asked for your help?” she asked, perking an eyebrow at him. “Seriously, Benedict, it won’t take that long, and besides, it’s only my back you’ll be seeing. Its not like I’m going to pull you in here with me.”_

_“If you’re certain.. I suppose..”  He mumbled. Benedict did always try to help people as clichéd as it might sound, and that fact was conflicting with his morals of being gentlemanly towards women more or less. He climbed down the tree expertly, and walked over, keeping his eyes only on her face. Of course he could still see the rest of her in the corner of his eye, but Benedict tried so hard to focus on her face, then knelt down behind her. “… It’s.. a lovely room you’ve got here.” He said, trying to either distract himself or get rid of his own awkwardness. Perhaps both.._

_“Thank you” Lucy said, relaxing back a moment, her head resting on the back of the tub. As he came nearer, she held the poof up to him and leaned forward with a soft smile. Hearing his comment on her bathroom, she glanced around it quickly. “Yeah, thanks. I like it. Though I think it’s supposed to be more a muck room, like when you’re done at the beach, come in here to rinse off the sand before heading into the house. But, I needed a bathroom, and I figured you lot wouldn’t miss it, really,” she said, lifting her shoulder in a shrug._

_Benedict took the scrubber, and put it to her back gently. He ran it along between her shoulder blades, and found his gaze going lower and lower before he caught himself. He’d remembered seeing a woman or two naked from his ‘past life’ so to speak, but he’d not been so close to one.. or anything like that. His mind got rather fuzzy and he just brainlessly rubbed the luffa over her back gently, admiring the contours of her shoulder blades.. the curve of her neck.. He was doing it again! He stopped himself, and tried just closing his eyes as he continued. The man was confused, and conflicted and getting so bothered by the situation he didn’t know what to do._

_Sighing softly, Lucy pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs, resting her cheek on her knees, looking at him over her shoulder. She moaned softly at his touch, her eyes slowly drifting closed. As she felt his hand dip lower beneath the surface of the water, she murmured “You’re good at this. ” she said, slowly opening her eyes to look over at him again._

_Benedict opened his eyes, and looked back at her a moment. “Is it helping?” He asked, a little hopefully. If so, then it somewhat justified what he was doing, at least in his delusional state. “I’m just.. glad I can help..” His tone dipped down to a much lower one that came around in certain circumstances._

_“I think a back rub might help more” she said, lifting her shoulder in a lazy shrug. “But yes, this is helping to… thank you…” She offered him a gentle smile, her eyes sparkling as she watched him, a little light of curiosity in her eyes._

_Benedict continued to rub the luffa gently against her back long after the soap had gone, then dropped it into the water. The next contact made was his bare hands pressed gently against her shoulders. They were large, and they covered the length of her shoulders easily with the width of his palm. His touch was so gentle, and smooth, but yet so strong. He got deep into the muscle with each stroke, and his breath was just barely hard enough to be heard._

_Lucy lay her forehead against her knees, her eyes closed as she moaned softly. Her body relaxed as she felt his skin on hers and couldn’t help the whispered name that escaped her lips. “Benedict” she sighed, slowly lifting her head. She looked at him over her shoulders and murmured, “Your hands feel amazing… thank you” she said before another moan escaped her lips._

_Benedict was driven further, and rested his forehead against the cool wooden edge of the tub. His guilt was eating him alive from the thoughts that surged in his mind. He couldn’t take it. Each moment, both his guilt and his arousal became harder to ignore. “I have to go..” He whispered suddenly, then realized another factor. This moment was a similar repeat of another time he’d spent with her, only that time, the action of leading her on had been unintentional. Now though, he’d actually meant it, being completely focused on the enrapturing moment. “I.. I need to get back to my reading..” He tried to make an excuse so as to not hurt her feelings. His tone, however, contradicted his words. It seemed slightly breathy, and definitely like that of a man with little remaining willpower to be abstinent._

_Lucy felt her shoulders sag in disappointment. He was doing it again. Leaving her. She bit her lip and looked back down at the water, hearing him say he had to go but realized his hands were still on her skin. She reached a hand up to her shoulder, laying her wet hand on his, moving to hold it gently. “Please don’t go.” she whispered, realizing after the soft words tumbled past her lips that she sounded like she was begging him. She realized she probably was._

_“… I need to.. read my book..” He nearly whimpered, now less worried about any urges he had over worried about Lu’s feelings. How did he get out of this with his own hormones raging, and his beautiful friend begging him to stay. He remained in that spot, looking at her, almost waiting for her to turn around and yell at him to leave. That would certainly be easier for him, but then she’d be hurt. If he stayed it would be nearly impossible for him to not give in to temptation. Then what would Dianna think? He could just try really hard to resist, but he got the nagging feeling that Lu would still be hurt. He was stuck there unsure of just what to do._

_“Your book can wait” she whispered, turning to look at him. She lifted his hand to her lips, placing a feather light kiss to the palm of his hand. “Please… Don’t go…” she whispered, tilting her cheek to rest on his hand. She really didn’t want him to go, unless he planned on picking her up and carrying her into her tent. Then she wouldn’t mind him leaving her bathroom._

_“But you are my best friend..” He said honestly. He’d grown so fond of her over the time they’d know one another, and he saw no way to leave the situation with that friendship in tact. “… This is wrong.. You know it’s wrong.. I just asked Dianna to be my girlfriend yesterday..” His voice was a whisper, and a pained one. His feelings for Dianna had been more on the friendly side anyway, he knew it would be over soon, but he didn’t want to leave her for another woman. But the other feelings he had transcended logic. “… You’re so tempting.” He whispered, “Please… I don’t know what to do..” His hand stayed on her face, and he looked at her with painful longing, almost as if he were begging her to tell him what to do._

_“You- You asked her…” she trailed off, her hand falling from his as she turned around to look him full on. Not bothering to cover up, she looked him in the eye, tears forming in hers. Shaking her head no, she whispered, “Why didn’t you tell me you chose her?” She heard what he said about her being tempting and he not knowing what to do, and decided that if she wanted to make a play, now would be the time, or she’d risk losing him to whoever this Dianna was. She slowly stood from the water and reached for his hand. “Nevermind, it doesn’t matter.” she whispered, placing his hand on her hip as she stepped closer to him. Wither her free hand, she reached up, caressing his cheek as her eyes searched his, trying to blink away the tears before they could fall. “Benedict… take me to my tent, please.” she whispered, not giving a damn that she was stark naked. This was, after all, her living space._

_Benedict stubbornly stared only at her eyes, and brought his thumb up to the rim of one to wipe away the tear that had fallen. He may have been slowly giving in to her, but he’d at least attempt to stay a gentleman. Immediately after she finished speaking, his resolve faded, and he bent down to pick her up bridal style. He carried her in a tight, nearly protective embrace into the bedroom of her residence, and laid her, despite his eagerness, gently and slowly onto the bed._

_Lucy felt how gentle he was in wiping away the damn tear that had fallen. She closed her eyes, tilting her head into the warmth of his hand, his name escaping past her lips again. Feeling him pick her up, she wrapped her arms around his neck, her forehead resting against his cheek. Running her fingers through the curls at the nape of his neck, she lifted her face to kiss his jaw lightly. As he set her gently on her bed, she smiled up at him, not wanting to let him go just yet. She drew a sharp breath and whispered, “Please… stay… I want you…”_

_The man slowly climbed over top of her, and drew closer and closer to her face. Despite it all, he couldn’t think of anything but her at that moment. Finally, after all that time their lips touched. It was a simple kiss given the circumstances, but then it was technically their first. His eyes clenched shut, brow lowered, and though their mouths hadn’t even hardly opened, there was such passion there between them._

_Lucy welcomed his advances, returning the soft kiss when she felt his lips on hers. Her eyes fell closed as she reached her hands up, her fingers playing over the column of his neck. Eventually finding the collar of his shirt, she pulled him closer before deepening the kiss a touch. She shifted beneath him, her hips raising to meet his.  Eventually she pulled away from the kiss, her eyes searching his before she slowly started to tug at his shirt, trying to pull it off of him._

_Benedict had put one hand gently on her cheek as he kissed her, increasingly desperate for more of this, and he’d be lying if he’d said he didn’t want this. He was still a man.. he still wanted things like this.. who would resist in that situation? Then it suddenly occurred to him what they were doing. Even if he hadn’t been dating someone else he’d not dream of taking advantage of someone like that. It would be bad for Lucy’s name, and he wouldn’t want that either. He pulled away “Lu, I can’t do this..” he whispered, looking down at her incredibly sadly. “… This is wrong..”_

_She shook her head no and whispered, “It’s not wrong, Benedict… How can something that feels so right be anything but?” she asked. Leaning forward, she kissed him again, wrapping a leg around his hips, gently bringing his hips to press against hers. “Please… I want you… and I can tell you want me…” Drawing a sharp breath, she looked in his eyes, “Please Ben…” She leaned forward, her lips pressing against his again, a little deeper this time, the passion she had inside for this man pouring into her actions as she tried to convince him with her body that it was ok._

_“I need to leave.. please..” He whispered, still breathing hard “I’m sorry..” he pulled away. “I’m confused, and I.. I am dating Dianna.” He said, mostly trying to convince himself. “It’s not your fault.. you’re right, I do want you.. I’m just..” he looked down at the girl.. he felt so badly for even letting this escalate. “It’s not love, it’s lust.. I think you know that..” His voice shook. He’d been foolish to even get down from the tree. “Please.. forget this..” He begged, and ran out before he could be swayed again. “I’m.. so sorry..” he repeated again._

________________

Benedict shuddered, still appalled at his foolish behavior, and what had resulted because he hadn’t wanted to be rude and refuse Miss Hale right off. His gaze flipped back to Emma before he finished the abbreviated version of the story for her sake. “She got my attention and had me climb down from the tree, because she needed help washing her back.. I know I should have left then.. but she insisted, and.. in the end I wound up kissing her once.” He looked so ashamed, as if he’d had an entire affair with her. “Right afterward she begged me to stay, but I couldn’t.. I went to the girl I was dating, and told her I’d been unfaithful…. I hurt both of them.” His voice faltered just slightly on the last statement, and he leaned his head to the side and rested it on Emma’s shoulder. He didn’t really look like he would cry, but his voice hinted at it. “It was a long time ago, but I’ve felt how they must have felt since then..”

Emma felt like bits of her heart were crumbling. She could tell just how much it hurt him, she could see how massively sorry he was. She couldn’t imagine what it was like to be carrying it around for a while because she hadn’t experienced anything like that. The guilt showed plainly on Benedict’s face, and near the end, when his voice cracked a bit, she felt like she would cry as well, his emotion was overwhelming. “Benedict..” She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around him, hoping to give him some comfort in this hug. “I know this doesn’t help much, but I am so, so sorry.”

“Please, don’t be sorry for me. For god’s sake, I’m the bad guy here..” He chuckled sadly, and hugged back incredibly gently. He was so much taller that he rested his chin on top of Emma’s head, and could hug her with his arms around her lower back at the same time. The gentleness was partially just that he was a gentle guy, and the other part was to avoid hurting the cut on his chest. “Thank you for caring though.. I don’t mean to complain so much.” He thought about it a moment. “You’re the first person that actually heard the whole story. Everyone else just assumed I cheated and wouldn’t hear a word I said otherwise. She… She told everyone that I took advantage of her..”

“And you tell me not to be sorry for you? How can I not? You’re not the only bad guy, she shares the blame. You’re both at fault in this scene, in her case it’s for lying.” She laid her head gently on his shoulder, being incredibly careful to steer clear of touching his cut from the previous day. She was surprised that no one had bothered to hear the whole story. It’s important to hear both sides of the involved parties. “And it’s their fault for closing their ears. For not being willing to listen and for being so quick to jump to conclusions. That’s one of the worst things you can do.” The last sentence she spoke a little softer, her mind thinking on it.

Benedict let go of her and nodded slowly. “Thanks for listening..” Benedict said quietly. “You’re welcome. I’ll listen anytime you need me to.” She meant it. People needed to express how they felt and thought about things and it was easier when someone was there to listen. “I’ve moved on from it anyway.. It was so long ago, and I know it won’t happen again..” Benedict explained and chewed the corner of his lip again. Though they weren’t hugging anymore, his hand lingered on her arm another moment, his fingers trailed down her bicep as he pulled his hand away. “Are we done unpacking? We could always go up to the roof..”

Emma felt little bumps appear on her arm after his fingers left her skin. She swallowed, putting a smile on her face to hide her reaction to his touch. She pushed the boxes away. “Yeah, I can finish the others later, I only have clothes left. Thank you for your help.” She jumped to her feet. “I think the roof is still a great idea. Lead the way Mr. Cumberbatch?”

Benedict stood with a smile that mirrored Emma’s. “Of course, Ms. Watson.” Benedict retorted, and furrowed his brows a moment. _Watson_.. that name rang a bell to him.. he’d said it before, he just knew it. He shook his head, figuring it was just because of her being around and he must have referred to her as that before. He led her up to the roof. Honestly, the door wasn’t far. All they had to do was walk down the hall and up a few steps. Benedict immediately walked over, and sat on the edge that overlapped with the sea, so looking down, all that could be seen was water and a bit of sand. “Come sit?”

Emma stared. The view was enormous, stretching out in all directions. It was completely incredible and the night sky perfected it. The stars shone brightly for miles. She had to close her open, awe-struck mouth as her eyes looked up at them. They seemed different here on the island. More vibrant and brilliant. She was pulled back to reality when Benedict asked her to sit. She obliged, sitting next to him and stretching her legs out in front of her.

The stars looked so close, so near. Benedict loved that. “Up there, that cluster” Benedict pointed ahead of them. “That one’s the oldest group of stars visible. They’ve been dead for nearly two million years, and the news still hasn’t reached us because of how far away they are.” He explained, and leaned his head to the side, smiling up at them.

Emma turned her head to the sky, perfectly content to just gaze at the stars. “That’s fantastic..” She smiled brightly, though not as bright as the sparkling orbs that were dancing on the velvet stage above their heads. She thought it was very impressive that Benedict knew that, she knew it wasn’t what one would consider common information. She didn’t think it would take millions of years though, the Earth wasn’t that old. But she was clueless about the details of stars so far.

“Isn’t it beautiful?” His eyes lit up a bit just with excitement. He’d spent to many nights out here. So many that he actually had a sleeping bag out there. Emma nodded her head several times. Beautiful was the exact word that she thought described the sky. “Completely.”

Benedict glanced down at Emma a moment, and smiled shyly before looking up at the sky again.  _She_ was beautiful. He probably ought to have said, but he didn’t. It wouldn’t be right for him to say that when he couldn’t even follow it up with anything. He sighed quietly, and laid on his back on the ledge with his head laying on the cement just next to Emma’s hip. Smiling at the sky, and counting the constellations, he finally just closed his eyes. “I’m glad you like them..”

“What’s not to like?” Emma kept her eyes focused on the stars, trying to see if she could see any constellations that she recognized. She was mentally counting when she saw Benedict lean back beside her out of the corner of her eye. She was painfully aware of how close he was, and was conscious of every detail. She closed her eyes for a few seconds, trying very hard not to shake in nervousness. Her hands gripped her knee caps as she forced herself to think of something else. She turned her eyes back to the stars, noticing which ones were brighter than the others. The stars were reflected in the water below, the waves were calmer than they usually were tonight. It looked like a painting that should be hung in one of the world’s top museums.

Benedict kept completely quiet there. Even his breathing was entirely silent. The only little reminder that he was even alive was the repetitive movement of his chest as it rose and fell with each breath. He was strangely content there. The night was warm as ever, and he was in great company. It was certainly a lovely evening and he slowly felt himself grow more tired. He yawned sleepily, and looked up at the stars above him another moment before closing his eyes yet again.

Emma brought a hand up to her mouth, covering it as she opened it, yawning. She turned her body sideways, lying down on the top of the roof. She laid her head on her arms, looking up once more at the sky. She’d love nothing more than to stare at the stars all night, but her body felt tired. The past few days for her had been exciting and she could feel a rush of sleep, or the want of, pass over her. She closed her eyes, her ears listening to the lulling sound of the waves moving back and forth.

Without another sound, Benedict fell asleep right there on the edge of the roof. It was nothing he hadn’t done before. Heck, he slept in a tree most nights, and the tree was much higher than the roof. Either way, he laid there with an ever so slight smile on his face as he slept soundly without even having nightmares.

Emma’s breath slowed gradually until it was that of a deep sleeper. And this was fitting because by this time, she really was asleep. The roof wouldn’t normally be thought of in a most comfortable places to sleep question, but it worked, allowing her to sleep peacefully. She had no dreams, which was a relief of sorts because the past few times she dreamed, they’d wake her up and deprive her of needed sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

Ian headed down one of the long hallways upstairs. He was returning to his room after spending some time at the library. The library was still one of his favorite places on the island. He’d discovered it on his second day at this beautiful island and he had fallen completely in love. It held so much knowledge, so many glorious words waiting to be read. It almost gave him goose bumps the whole idea was exciting. He turned the page of the book in his hands. This time, he’d decided to borrow a biography.

Personal stories had always interested Ian, he just drifted to them, although he didn’t really have a reason why, outside of the fact that they were inviting. He had picked a biography about an ex-spy, a retired agent from America’s CIA. It was overall, completely fascinating.

Nicholas stood still in one of the wide windows around the hallways of the house. When he didn’t have much to do and his feet decided to stay close to his room, this is exactly what he did. Stare into the contours of the outside from the shelter of the inside; his blue orbs always marveled at the beautiful sight the island had to offer. He pressed his hands on the frame as he curved his lips upwards; the waves kissing the loose sand as the upcoming breeze moved the distinct palms close to it. This was his way of finding peace and a manner of thinking about situations which made him happy and nothing more.

As he breathed out, he let out a sudden cough which made him cover his lips with the inside of his arm, straight into the inner part of his elbow. Ian turned the corner, his eyes soaking up the words of the open book when he heard a cough.  He looked up, his mind alert, to see a man standing at the window, looking outside. Ian smiled, this wasn’t someone he recognized, but he was always interested in meeting new people. He called out in greeting, hoping not to scare the man away. “Hello! It’s gorgeous outside huh?”

Nicholas cleared his throat, continuing to sway around the last strands of his mind until his ears had the ability to hear a foreign voice close to his presence. Such action made him to break his train of thoughts instantly as he turned around, his eyes widening at the utter surprise of finding someone completely unknown to him. He smiled; meeting new people was something he always enjoyed. 

“It is!” He answered as he gave another quick glance to the view. “The constant beauty of this place is unbelievable.” Letting out a chuckle, he stretched out his arm in order to greet the man inside a handshake. “Hello. I don’t think we’ve met before, have we? My name’s Nicholas.”

Ian walked forward, meeting Nicholas’ hand with his own, and giving it a firm shake. “It’s nice to meet you Nicholas. I’m Ian.” Ian looked out the window, seeing the beach sitting just outside. “It’s incredible. I love watching the waves.” He turned back to Nicholas, closing his book, holding down at his side.  He had plenty of time to read it later, now was the time to hopefully make a new friend. Nicholas seemed very friendly, from a first impression, so he figured there would be no problems starting a friendship. ”Have you been living here for a bit? Or is all this still new to you?”

Nicholas gave a friendly smile as both men shook hands, his hand now returning inside one of his pockets while listening to Ian’s words. He nodded at his comment, lips curving upwards, blue orbs now watching the book he was currently holding. It was somehow odd, that he wished to ask which sort of literature Ian was reading, probably because one of Nicholas’s first memories fell on the scent and texture of books. Nevertheless, as he cleared his throat, he decided that maybe he’d ask later, if he had the chance.  His glance was directed upwards as he heard the man’s vocal chords asking him a question; Nicholas’s head shaking as one of his hands went straight behind his neck. “Oh, no! I’ve been here for quite a while now.”

"Really?" Ian shook his head. "Guess I’ve definitely been cooped up in my room for too long." His eyes strayed down to the book in his hand, making a light smile appear on his face. "Its my own fault though. You get busy with so many things, you forget there’s the real world outside of your door."

Nicholas grinned, agreeing completely. He raised his eyebrows while pursing his lips. “Not sure about the exact time that I’ve been here though. I’m quite bad at keeping track of it.” Chuckling, he moved his feet without leaving his spot. Ian laughed along when he heard Nicholas’s comment about time keeping. “Don’t get me started. I lose myself so easily. I stayed up really late two nights ago, till about four in the morning I think. I was writing, got carried away, and boom. It got late. So I’m not surprised that I haven’t really kept track of how long I’ve been living here.” Ian looked out the window briefly before dragging them back to Nicholas. “Yup. Definitely not the best at time keeping.”

Nicholas couldn’t help but continue to laugh softly at his commentary, a gesture that was most welcome to him. Any time he could laugh it was pleasurable since there had been a lot of hectic drama occurring that had taken away the moments of laughter for a time. His eyes followed Ian’s gaze as his words passed through Nicholas’s intent listening. He tilted his head for a moment, curiously wondering which could be the reasons that kept him locked inside his room for more than a few hours; he’d have certainly gone insane if he did that, considering that most of the times he had nothing to do inside his space. Going out and walking throughout different spots is what kept him sane from the frequent chaos inside the house.

“Ah! You write?” Nicholas smiled at such sudden discovery as his eyes glowed with interest. “That’s certainly amazing. I wish I had that ability” He chuckled, passing a hand through his light hair as he wondered about the topics his writing consisted about. “Do you write stories? Journal entries?” Nicholas looked to the other man as his lips opened once again.

"I do a fair share. My folder said I used to be a writer professionally. I haven’t tried journal entries, but I do write stories. I like it a lot, it just, fits." Ian was glad Nicholas seemed interested. Most people he had met seemed interested, and Ian enjoyed talking about his passions. "You never know really, you could have the ability to write. Everyone has a story within them.”

Nicholas was impressed with Ian’s words as he blinked twice. He didn’t remember any other data in his folder besides his name, age and a few pictures inside. Nevertheless, he believed he hadn’t searched enough in it to actually know there weren’t further details about him. “It’s really nice to know your folder hinted you into writing. I guess the data inside them isn’t _that_ wrong, after all.” He smiled while taking his hands out of his pockets, arms folding as he heard the phrases Ian had to offer.

Chuckling, he looked down. “You do all the fictional exploring, while I do the outside version.” Nicholas lifted his eyebrows while glancing up, giving a side smile. “To be honest I haven’t explored much around the house…but I’ve found some amazing sightings around the island” Somehow, Nicholas preferred to take journeys on the outside; he liked to discover the utter beauty inside the surroundings, especially when things weren’t that great in the house. Nevertheless, he was willing to know more about the distinct rooms it had to offer, especially the one his friend Benedict had mentioned on their first conversations: The library. 

"The house is incredible. There’s so many fantastic rooms. Personally, the library is my favorite, there’s so many books, so much knowledge there. You can lose yourself for days, literally." Ian smiled as he remembered one of the first times he was there. "Once, I went in after dinner and grabbed a stack of books that I had been working my way through. I just, took a seat and read. By the time I looked up from the book, it was morning. Still, the place is completely amazing." Ian mentally rolled his eyes. He sounded like a complete nerd talking that way, although a part of him thought he was a nerd. "There’s several other great places, the library isn’t the only one."

As Ian shared his opinion about the house, Nicholas couldn’t help but show a wide smile on his features. The library was one of the places he was eager to know, and to acknowledge that the other man enjoyed such place made him even more curious. “The library must be a formidable place, then.” He said, still with a smile on his lips. “You see, my first flashback here was about books. Their texture and fragrance. When I first got here, I made a very good friend; Benedict. He told me about the library as well and I hope I can be able to visit it soon.” He confessed.

Ian grinned. “Are you serious? That’s, that’s amazing. I’m jealous.” He said, his voice light and joking. Ian nodded his head slowly, agreeing with this man’s wish to visit. It really was incredible, so many rows that you could lose yourself on. "Yeah, the wine cellar is humungous, but, it’s really just a quiet place to go and get drunk, when you think about it.”

There wasn’t a lot of interesting things about it, just a dark, and at times damp, cellar filled with alcohol. Ian relaxed when he saw Nicholas’s smile, although it seemed a little forced. “I’m glad I’m not the only one that thinks it’s not that interesting.” He thought of something he could say that was cheerful, to make this man’s smile turn into a genuine one.

Giving a wide smile, he found relief in his phrases while he expressed his open opinion about the wine cellar. Nicholas understood that some people actually found wine tasting as an exquisite hobby; something to look forward to. Nevertheless, for him, it was just an activity enclosed in a frightening and maybe dull process. Frightening, because he didn’t wish to imagine himself drinking; he felt that just one drink or two would put him in a blurry state of mind; dull because he found no certain interest in it. Nevertheless, he couldn’t judge the people who liked to spend time in the wine cellar. Everyone was different, and that meant having different interests, too.

Before he could though, he saw Nicholas’s eyes light up at the thought of an exploration expedition. “There’s just way to much to see. I want to discover it all, being with someone just makes it more fun, more memorable. That’s pretty much how I feel about it.” His eyes strayed down to the action of Nicholas’s fingers before he snapped them back up to make eye contact, his mouth transforming into a smile. “They’re all very welcoming you know? I don’t think I’ve met someone that’s been standoffish, at least not yet. Hoping not to.” He chuckled, letting his mouth keep the smile. "Maybe it'll tone down my jealousy," he teased.

Nicholas laughed while nodding, feeling a sense of happiness towards Ian’s reaction. The fact that Ian had the ability to appreciate literature and writing was something that definitely caught his attention, and a trait Nicholas found amazingly positive. “Not necessary. We can swing the other way; I’m jealous of your professional writing.” He said with a chuckle, rocking himself from side to side as he heard the other man’s words with serious attention.

Ian shook his head, smiling. He was pleased that Nicholas valued English and the many subjects that were under it. Not very many people he met so far had shown an interest. If they had an interest it was kept hidden under the surface. “Nah, you shouldn’t be. It’s really, really easy; anyone can write! You should try it sometime.” He looked at Nicholas again, throwing him a wink. His eyes flew back to the window, watching a few birds fly by as a moment of silence passed between the two men. Ian was the first to speak again.

"I’ve been wanting to go outside for a while." Ian said with a light smile. "So I think I’m ready to go. Should be fun. I want to see as much as I can in one day, and then turn around and do it the next day." Ian chuckled, silly as it was. He had enjoyed exploring the house and he figured he’d enjoy exploring outside just as much.

“Well, if you ever wish to have a tour outside, I can certainly help.” Nicholas lifted his head a little while showing a smile. “I don’t know every single corner, since this place is somehow never-ending, but I can show you the few places I’ve been.”

Ian’s eyes lit up when Nicholas offered to be a tour guide. “Really? I’d really appreciate that. When I go out I’ll have to let you know. It would be a lot more fun with someone else, more than being alone.” He smiled, speaking jovially. “I think I’ve had my fill of being alone. I’m spending time with others here, and I’ve found that I like it better.”

He certainly liked the way Ian thought about exploring. For Nicholas, exploring was one of the most fun things to do on the island; it was his getaway and his sudden peace around the constant thoughts he had inside his head. It was definitely a source of happiness to know that someone considered such activity positive in their repertoire.

As soon as he saw the spark on Ian’s eyes, Nicholas nodded with a mix of excitement and gladness. “Certainly! Just let me know and we’ll enter to an adventure.” He laughed. “Being with company and sharing what the island has to offer is definitely better. Besides, you’re less prone to get lost in such a wide area” As his fingers squeezed his own arms while still being folded, he curved his lips upwards towards the last words of Ian.

Ian looked out the window, seeing that it had become dark now, night had descended and the sun had disappeared for the evening. Even in the dark, the way the shadows fell on the plants on the side, the way the lights of the house were set outside, switching on and off and at times flickering, it looked like a dance of nature almost. Just a random coincidence of how it was all set up, but at the same time gorgeous.

**_________________________________**

It was the first night that passed by in which Benedict got a full night’s sleep. He didn’t have a single nightmare. It was so relaxing. He woke with the sun on his face, and felt like he could do just about anything. He was just so refreshed. He sat up slowly, and stretched before looking over to Emma. She looked like she was still asleep. After thinking it over, Benedict decided that it would be better if he woke her up. She might not have meant to sleep in so late. Benedict knelt next to the ledge she was on, and put his hand on her arm. “Emma? Wake up..” He whispered, almost too shy to wake her up. He trailed his thumb back and forth, keeping the rest of his hand still on her arm.

There was a voice calling her. She was positive of that. Emma tried to hold onto the relaxing blackness of sleep but her brain listened to the voice, waking her up. Emma gradually opened her eyes, noticing how bright it was as her eyes adjusted.

She was confused about where she was until she took a brief look around. She was still on the roof, and Benedict was still in her company. She was immediately aware of his hand on her arm, and she smiled at him in greeting. “Good morning.”

“Good morning, love. Sorry to wake you..” He said quietly, and let his hand fall off her arm. “I wasn’t sure if you had meant to sleep in or not. I didn’t know if you had plans or something so I thought it would be best to wake you.”He explained, still smiling at her. His hair was even messier than normal, and orange curls hung down in his eyes that still squinted with sleepiness. She flipped over, laying on her back, her arms draped over her stomach. “Oh I’m glad you did. I have a habit of sleeping in too late if I let myself.” She turned her face up to him, putting her smile in his direction. “So thank you.” She ran her fingers through the edges of her cropped hair, smoothing down the usual pieces that always were sticking up after she slept.

Benedict’s head turned to the side, looking down at her. “I hope you slept well..” At least similar to how well he had slept. That would be lovely. She nodded, confirming it and he smiled further. “I did sleep well. The roof is surprisingly comfortable. Maybe I should sleep here more often…Did you sleep alright?”

“Surprisingly well.” Benedict smiled, and looked out over the trees. There was a little gap out in them where he knew there was a cave he’d meant to explore pretty soon. Perhaps that was what he’d do today. “Do you have any plans today?” He asked, bordering on eagerly.  Emma took a look around as she sat up. The sight was so different than it was last night, which made total sense. She could see the ocean stretching on for what looked like forever, and she wondered how far it really did go until it bumped up against another piece of land. “I was planning on getting another book from the library, but I can always do that later. It’s not going anywhere. So, take that off my list, and I’m free to do anything.”

She would love nothing more than to spend another day with him, she secretly hoped he’d want to keep her company the rest of the day as well. The words were certainly pleasant to hear, it was pretty much what Benedict had been going for. “I can make you breakfast. Well I can try. Normally the ladies here take care of me, so I never had a chance to make breakfast, but I can try” He laughed quietly, and looked almost hopefully at her. Her eyes brightened when he mentioned breakfast. “That sounds fantastic. I’m going to need some food if I do anything that is massively energy consuming today. If you’re going to try it then I would love to be your food tester.”

Benedict smiled gently, and stood up, offering a hand to her. “All I was thinking was that I might explore this cave that I found the other day.” He explained. “It’s got these glowing rocks it’s so pretty.” He helped her up and led her through the door into the building, then down a few flights of steps to his own door. He had to stop and at least change his clothes. “If you need to change or anything I could meet you down in the living room.” He said, and walked into his room while he took off his shirt, and opened the drawer to get a clean one out. “Or you could just borrow clothes from me. They’ll be a little big, but..” He chuckled, imagining her in his giant clothes.

 The cave sounded amazing and it wouldn’t surprise her if it was. So many places, things, and people on this island were amazing, so she was beginning to think that there were few things that didn’t fit into that category. Sure, there were difficulties, but that didn’t make everything else here horrible. Emma leaned against the frame of the door, watching as he crossed the floor. “Thank you for offering, but I think it’ll be faster if I just change into some of my clothes. I’ll meet you downstairs in a few minutes, yeah?” She left the room, heading quickly to her own. She knew she wanted to be presentable, at least more than she was currently, but she didn’t want to keep him waiting too long. Thus her reason for hurrying to her bedroom. It was a little ways from his, but not too bad.

Benedict went and changed right away into a pair of light blue jeans, a red tee shirt, and converse tennis shoes. He went down to the kitchen quickly and stood there a little dumbfounded for a long moment, unsure of where to actually find food. He looked in cabinets, and finally found bread, and some eggs in the fridge. He knew how to hard boil eggs, so naturally he’d try that and toast. He put the bread into the toaster, and turned it on. There. That was simple enough. Then he put on a pot of water, and made hard boiled eggs like he was taught. He stood watching them until they were nearly done, then suddenly realized the toast would be burning. He ran over to the toaster and pulled them out with his bare hands, only burning himself slightly from handling them, and moving them onto a plate. The burn wasn’t bad at all, it just stung a little so he went and ran his hands under cold water at the sink, only to suddenly hear water hitting the burner of the stove. The eggs wee boiling over. Panic set in again, and he ran over to turn off the stove, and get a cloth to clean up the water that was getting everywhere. Everything settled down after a moment, and he peeled the eggs and sliced them before placing them artistically on top of the slightly charred toast on the plate. It was the most simple, pathetic breakfast he’d ever seen. It would have to do.. he tried his best, and knew he couldn’t make much better in the time he had. He took it out and put it on the table with perfectly arranged silverware.

Meanwhile, Emma opened the door of her room, closing it behind her quickly. She changed into some multi colored converse shoes, black jeans, and a light purple long sleeved shirt that had a bit of lace around the collar and the hem. She started to leave when she passed the mirror that she had hung near her door. She caught sight of her hair and winced when she noticed it was a complete mess, worse than she imagined this morning. Turning on her heel, she grabbed a comb from one of her bathroom drawers and smoothed out her hair. She smiled, glad to have tamed the beast for now. Emma descended the stairs nearest to her room, skipping a few of the steps. She entered the kitchen to see that Benedict was already there, finishing up his cooking. “Smells good!” She said with a smile, looking at the dishes on the table and noticing how nicely the table set.

Benedict smiled softly, and set the plate down for her, and pulled out the chair for her. “I’m sorry it’s not exactly a queen’s breakfast.” He chuckled nervously, and waited for her to sit before he sat down next to her himself. “That’s all I knew how to make, but I’ll learn more soon.” He assured her, wanting to impress her with anything he could. He wasn’t really obviously as nervous as he felt, he managed to actually appear rather casual aside from his nervous tendency of rubbing his thigh. Luckily his legs were hidden by the table. He looked down at the wood of the table, and studied it a long moment. He was always easily distracted like that.

Emma was impressed when he pulled out her chair first, not many would do that. “It looks great. I‘ve been meaning to try cooking something but I’ve been preoccupied.” Things like cooking were pushed aside when she focused on exploring her new home and meeting the people she shared it with. She picked up her fork and knife, cutting off a bite before plopping it into her mouth. She’d never had eggs on toast before, but she liked the combination of flavors. She crossed her ankles under the table, anything to stop her legs from shaking. She hated being nervous. It was incredibly sweet of him to make breakfast, she would have volunteered gladly to cook but he beat her to it. The more she was around him, the more she felt like she was losing her grip on bits of herself. She thought about saying something, but was worried that she would stutter so instead she contented herself by taking another bite.

Benedict stayed there in silence until she was nearly finished eating, then glanced up at her. “Your hair looks nice.” He said in a friendly tone. It was in no way close to a flirt, just something to make her feel better. “So you’ll join me to go explore that cave?” He smiled widely, and cocked his head to the side. His smile was so infectious. It was quirky and crooked, and he always had complete un-ironic enthusiasm. 

Emma couldn’t help but smile back as she pushed her chair out, standing up.. “Yes, I think I’ll tag along. Do you think we’ll need flashlights?” Emma picked up her plate, as well as the other dishes she had used and carried them over to the sink. She turned on the hot water, putting enough dish soap to create bubbles in the water. She set the dishes in the steadily rising water, pulling out a rag to help her wash them. One by one she cleaned the pieces, setting them to the side when they were clean; she planned on drying after she finished washing. When she came downstairs for the meal she hadn’t planned on washing, but after seeing that it needed to be done she gave herself the task.

“I don’t think so.. I suppose we could bring a torch just in case.” Benedict said, and looked up to see her doing the dishes. He nearly flinched, and cursed himself under his breath that he didn’t think to get to that before she had the chance. It was so cliché for a woman to be stuck doing the dishes, and he was afraid that it seemed like he expected her to clean the dishes. He panicked a moment before he realized he could help by drying the dishes and putting them away. He picked up a wash rag, and dried each dish she put into the drainer. “I was going to get all this..” Benedict said elbowed her arm gently, and chuckled. 

“You cooked, it’s only fair that I help with the dishes.” Emma replied, raising her eyebrows, the right corner of her mouth raising a little as well. She honestly didn’t mind helping out in the kitchen. Some might say a woman belonged in the kitchen. She disagreed, not believing that a kitchen was the only place women could be useful, but she absolutely didn’t have a problem with helping out where it was needed. She pulled her wet hands out of the water and turned to the stove, grabbing the pot that he had used to boil the eggs. There weren’t very many dishes that needed washing so the job wouldn’t take very long. “And two people working makes the job end that much sooner.” She finished, laughing a little.

“That’s sweet of you..” Benedict smiled, and felt a large urge to kiss her cheek. He didn’t even know where it came from, he just-… Emma was being sweet, and kind, and lady like.. it was so refreshing, and it just made him happy. It was almost like a way to thank her. Of course he wouldn’t do it for the same reasons as always. They finished up the dishes, and Benedict looked around to make sure he’d put them all away before putting a hand around Emma’s shoulders, and leading her outside. They walked along the grassy area between the trees, and the sand. Smirking a little mischievously, Benedict spoke up.  “Hey, Emzy.. I’ll race you to that clearing in the trees up there. Before he got an answer he took off running on his long gangly legs through the grass.

The weather was great again today, each of the days she had been here the weather had always seemed perfect. She hadn’t heard that nickname before, and Emma laughed. Partially from that and partially because she had not been expecting him to challenge her. She started running, pumping her legs and arms. She continued laughing, she couldn’t help it. Moving fast like this, feeling the air brush against her face, her feet pounding against the ground, her bangs flying all over. It was just so…fun. Benedict was a ways in front of her, having a head start, but she pushed herself, closing the distance between them until she was running next to him, still going at the same speed.

Benedict glanced over in surprise before his face turned to one of determination. He sprinted quicker, nearly as fast as his legs could carry him before he came to a halt in front of the cave. They’d been at about the same speed, so it was more or less a tie. “Oh, bugger.” He laughed “I guess I’ll just have to beat you another day.” He teased and winked just to show he was kidding. “I don’t know. I might just beat you first.” Emma replied, her voice teasing.

The cave was dark at first, and looked a bit scary from the outside. “Shall we go in then?” Benedict spoke, strangely he didn’t seem to be even a little out of breath. Emma didn’t hesitate to give an answer, there was no sense in waiting outside when the whole reason they had crossed the island was to explore this cavern. “Oh yes.” She took several steps forward, walking until she was inside. It was darker, the sun didn’t shine as brightly inside and the shadows stretched farther.

Benedict trotted in after her, and gestured for her to follow him. He’d seen that around the corner there were those glowing stones. There were just a few when he last saw, but deeper in the cave there must have been more, right? He picked a handful of them up and offered one to Emma. They lit up just about the same amount that a nicely sized candle would. “Who needs a torch?” He teased, seeing as the rocks would light up enough that they didn’t need a flash light. “I wonder how far back this goes..” There was now enough light to see his expression as he looked up and around the cave. His green and blue eyes sparkled with a mix of excitement and wonder. 

Emma took one of the rocks from his outstretched hand, marveling at how they were glowing. “That’s amazing, how do they light up like that?” She held it up, seeing how it shined brightly. It was spectacular. “There’s only one way to find out how far it goes.” She said, a grin on her face to match her eyes that were full of the spirit of adventure, with a hint of mischievousness mixed in. “You up for it?” She was more than ready to explore, but she didn’t want to push Benedict to do anything. She was leaning more on the side of cautiousness because she didn’t want a repeat of what had happened at the cliffs.

“And you’re not? Why, you scared?” His face matched hers, and a mischievous grin showed across his face as he headed off down a corridor deeper into the caves. There were rocks here and there that lit the cave just enough for them to see each other, and where they were walking until the passage opened into a brightly lit room all at the same moment that Benedict’s foot landed in a sort of underground lake. It felt just like a deep puddle to him, and it was ice cold. Immediately, he put his hand out to stop Emma from walking forward any more. The room didn’t look like it had any other passages or anything.. that seemed to be about all that the cave was. 

Emma first reaction was to be surprised at how bright it was. Not to mention how large this cavern was. She noticed the water that stretched to all the walls of the cave, and how remarkably still it was once the ripples that Benedict’s foot had created stopped. “This is slightly strange.” She murmured. Emma got on her knees, reaching out a finger to touch the water. More ripples were formed when she touched it, and she instinctively pulled her finger back when she felt how cold it was.

“It’s beautiful.” Benedict murmured quietly as if to himself and sat down at the edge of the water, just looking up at the light yellow glow of the room. He couldn’t believe that no one else had found this place yet, it was beautiful just like he said. “Absolutely.” Emma had a curious and completely random want to sink some of the glowing stones in the water, just to see what they’d look like. She turned her head back to Benedict, to see if he was liking this room just as much as she was. “Won’t you sit with me?” Benedict looked up at Emma. His tone was quieter than normal for some reason, and he had a lovestruck sort of look. Mostly just because of the romantic sort of aura one could feel in the room. The light was just dim enough to make it seem like candles, and it just sort of felt romantic. Of course Benedict was the type to feel those sort of romantic things more strongly than others. She smiled lightly, and nodded. Words seemed like they might almost ruin the peacefulness of the room. Emma got off of her knees, sitting on the edge of the lake instead, a spot directly next to her companion.

Benedict smiled down at her softly for a minute then looked back to the lake. “I wonder how deep it is..” Benedict mumbled to himself, then found himself glancing over at Emma more and more often. The lighting really was flattering.. that was nearly an understatement. He scooted over closer to her and cleared his throat quietly before deciding to distract himself by throwing a rock into the water. It lit all the way to the bottom which was about six feet, and there were little clams or something like that.

“Its just completely brilliant. Do you know, are we the first ones to see this place?” Emma hoped so, it would be amazing to be the first in their group to discover this place. She turned her head up to Benedict, speaking to him was a good excuse to look at him. She was the kind of person who looked at people when they spoke, but with him, it was more than that. She caught her eyes straying to him quite a bit, but at the same time, she didn’t want to stop.

“I think we are. I haven’t heard of anyone else mentioning this place.” Benedict reasoned, his words totally detached from his thoughts as if he were on auto pilot. He looked for excuses to look at her. Just anything he could think of to have a reasonable explanation to get one more glimpse. As he spoke he glanced down at her mouth just once, but it clearly wasn’t an accident. “You look beautiful in this light.” He admitted. He didn’t sound very nervous about saying it, in fact his tone was perfectly steady and low.

Emma was stunned. Those words were the very last thing that she expected to him to say, not to mention the look he had given her mouth. ”Uh, w-well thank, thank you.” She hated that sentence, it sounded completely stupid. She never stammered, but his compliment took her completely by surprise, adding to her jittery nerves. She had hurried and grabbed the first words that came to her brain. She turned her eyes to the lake, regaining control of herself. Emma decided to just speak the words on her mind, and thankfully, they came out perfectly, much better than the last time she opened her mouth. “You look very handsome. And the light has nothing to do with it.” She finished slowly, pulling her eyes back to the man next to her.

Benedict smiled at the compliment and looked down at his lap for a moment. He was awful at taking compliments, he’d normally just redirect the conversation to someone else. “It’s just lovely in here too. I’m glad no one else really knows about this place. It’s like a secret hide out.” He teased, staying amazingly casual aside from being nervous over impressing Emma. He couldn’t seem to take it, he leaned closer to her to speak, his voice now an almost suggestive whisper. “I bet it’s dark out by now.. We’ll need to get home-” Their faces were close now, nearly unmistakably close enough for a kiss, but he didn’t move any closer.

Emma’s eyes trailed down to his lips as they moved dangerously close to her own, unable to move her gaze to something else. “You’re probably right.” She spoke, her voice even and unwavering. “Took us long enough to get this far, sun’s most likely gone down by now. It’s a good thing we have the glowing rocks.” She said, her voice matching his teasing tone. She fought the rapidly growing urge to reach up and pull his lips down to hers. It wouldn’t be hard, but at the same time it wasn’t her, and she didn’t think it was right. They weren’t even together in that sense. What would he think of her if she was so willing to kiss a man that she wasn’t with, despite the feelings that she had for this particular man so close to her? She knew a bit about his experiences on the island and she really didn’t want him to go through it again, or entertain false thoughts about her. At the same time, she couldn’t just do nothing. Ever so slowly, she was still a little bit hesitant; she reached her hand up and placed it on the edge of his face, setting her thumb down just below one of his cheekbones.

“Let’s not tell anyone then.” Benedict whispered jokingly, and smirked a little. His playful attitude vanished entirely when she reached up and touched his face. His mind was literally screaming. He couldn’t believe she was touching him at all, not to mention so.. so intimately. He even stopped breathing for a moment, unsure of just how to react to it. He did like it after all, and he wanted to kiss her, but how could he? He’d not even admitted if he had feelings for her or not yet. He thought of a way out of the situation right away, and suddenly stood while scooping her up into his arms like a bride. “I’ll help you home then. I’d hate for you to stumble or get hurt in the dark.” He joked again, faking a gallant booming tone that echoed through the cave. Success. He got himself out of that one.

Emma grinned when he picked her up, deciding it was best not to say anything about what might or might not have happened just then. She laid her hands on his shoulder, thinking that would be the easiest place to put them for support. The walk out of the cave seemed much shorter than the walk into it, but maybe that was just her brain not paying attention to every detail like the first time she had walked through these caverns. “Thank you.” She said, turning her smile up at him, though she wasn’t sure if he could see it. “Just don’t fall, you can put me down if I’m too heavy.”

Once outside, she looked up at the stars that were shining just as brilliantly as they always were. They seemed a bit brighter because the lights of the house weren’t detracting from their shine. Benedict glanced down and smiled back at her. “Oh, but I like holding you. Why would I want to put you down?” He teased and the rest of the walk he held her just a little bit tighter. The two of them arrived at the house rather quickly, almost too quickly for her liking.  He finally put her down when they got to the house, and did so reluctantly. “Thank you very much Benedict. That cave was definitely a treasure. And I’m not only talking about the glowing rocks.” She said with a bright smile as she slid out of his grasp, thinking of the vast lake that still amazed her.

 “Oh, no. Thank you, Emzy. I’ve been meaning to go up there for a while now. I’m glad you were the one to join me.” He said quietly, and glanced over at the stairs. “I suppose it’s late… I’ll see you tomorrow though right?”

She took a couple steps backwards on the stairs, slowly retreating into the house. She didn’t want to leave yet, but she could tell that her body was completely exhausted, and she’d regret it if she didn’t get some sleep. She raised her hand to her now opening mouth, covering a yawn. “I’d love to see you again tomorrow.” Emma’s smile softened but didn’t disappear as she opened the front door of the house. She raised her hand again, giving Benedict a little wave before entering the house and closing the door behind her, the smile she wore still plastered all over her face.


	6. Chapter 6

Ksenia leaned up against the kitchen wall, holding a glass in her hands. She’d chosen to stand by a man that had been standing by himself, watching the people come in and out to get meals for dinner. She lifted the glass to her lips as she spoke, loud enough for the man beside her to clearly hear her words. “Whoa, a ton of good looking people are here. Damn.”

Benedict’s attention was caught by her words. He agreed, there were several good looking people here, he knew of a few that he was constantly baffled by with their outer, and inner, looks. One in particular. He chuckled in good humor, venturing to offer his personal opinion in order to be polite and respond. Who else was she talking to? Everyone else had finished dinner, each on their own time tables, and had left. “I’d be the proof that not everyone is attractive.”

Looking over, pleased that he had responded, she thought about her answer. She definitely disagreed with him, seeing him with a more scrutinizing glance. He was a different kind of handsome, but handsome nonetheless. “No, actually, I would find that to be proof of a lie.”

Benedict chuckled. She was at least free to have her opinion. “Well then, it looks like you might have an eye problem, you should consult a doctor about that. I think you may be blind.” Ksenia finished her drink, draining it of the final golden drop. The taste swirled around in her mouth, delicious. “Well, I think my eyes are perfectly fine, thank you. I don’t think you can accept that I think you are a very good looking man.”

Benedict turned, facing her as his shoulder leaned up against the wall. It was much easier to see the dark haired girl than to constantly be turning his head to the side.“My goodness, have you hit your head recently? Thank you really… I suppose you’re right, I can’t take compliments.” It was one of his faults. He had a difficult time taking compliments. “I’ve never met you, I assume you are new here then?” He couldn’t take compliments hmm..? She was going to have to change that. It wasn’t like she had another goal or something else to do here on the island. At least not yet. “I am new here, actually. I’m Ksenia, and who is Mr. Handsome?” The name was accompanied by a raise of her eyebrow, though she meant it.

Benedict easily transitioned back into his personality of a gentleman, bending down to kiss her hand. “A beautiful name for a beautiful young lady.. My name is Benedict, but most of the young ladies call me Benny. I suppose my full name if a bit of a mouthful.” She blushed lightly when he kissed her hand. It had taken her by surprise but if he was trying to impress her that did it. “Oh my god, you are a gentleman. Well, it’s lovely to meet you, Benedict. I like your name, it sounds very…classy.” A deep chuckle came before his comment. “Oh, goodness.. It sounds a bit silly to me. I’m the one on the island that got the made up name.” Ksenia shrugged. “I would think you would like it, darling. It seems to fit you very well, if I do say so myself.” And she did. Benedict clasped his hands together at the name, and another one of her compliments, looking away briefly before coming back to be polite. “Oh, goodness, thank you. So how are you settling in? You’ve got a room by now I take it..?” Most people had a room by their second or third day, though he knew of a few who had waited almost a week.

“No, I don’t yet. I’ve been wandering the house the entire time I’ve been here.” She was an explorer? Benedict’s interest was peaked, if she liked exploring, perhaps he could make another adventuring buddy. That was, if Ksenia was interested. He’d have to see if Emma was up to making a group exploration. He would have asked Chris as well, but he hadn’t seen him in almost three weeks. Still, the fact that she hadn’t found a room made him just a bit concerned. “Oh, my. Well, if you would like, I could help you find one. I know there are a few open upstairs. I could meet you upstairs in a few minutes, I just need to shower and change, I was just sleeping in a tree all night so I’m afraid that I’m a bit less than presentable at the moment.”

“Well, I think that would be absolutely lovely of you.” Ksenia was about to continue when she heard him mention where he had been the previous night. Tree sleeping...? What kind of man was Benedict? He intrigued her curiosity. Something she liked very much. “Haven’t heard of that one before. I’ll see you upstairs then, handsome.”

Benedict walked away after saying his temporary goodbyes to Ksenia, and headed up to his bedroom. He had been filthy from the previous night, but he was like that most days. He’d get himself all covered in dirt and grass stains, then end up sleeping at the top of his favorite tree after gazing at the stars for hours. The only downside to that was of course that he wound up dirty. He went up and took an incredibly quick shower before running to get dressed in a pair of jeans and a tight white tee shirt. His dull orange curls were still a little wet as he left the room and headed down the hall to find his new friend.

____________

Nina groaned. There was no way she was going to finish all of these brownies by herself. She had made a double batch, but her designated eating partner, Billie, had failed to show up. Nina didn’t really want to throw any out.. but then again, she didn’t know if anyone else would eat them. Footsteps drew her attention away from the kitchen counter, and she caught site of a smaller girl entering the kitchen. Her hair was cropped short, the first thing that Nina noticed, but her eyes were lively. The whole girl radiated energy. She didn’t feel completely okay with just forcing food on the girl, but Nina was in a predicament. “You interested in some brownies?”

Emma hadn’t come down to the kitchen to start a conversation, but at the opportunity, she was more than willing to accept. “I suppose so. Were they one of the ones that were provided or did you make them?” Nina extended the plate of treats, one of Emma’s delicate hands reaching forwards to grasp one, a small thank you leaving her mouth as she did. “I made them.” Nina spoke a little hesitantly; cooking wasn’t something she was particularly skilled at.

“I’m Nina by the way.”

Emma took a bite, nodding in greeting as she smiled. The taste wasn’t horrible, but rather had a different sort of taste. Once her mouth was completely empty of the deliciousness, she replied instantly. “It’s a pleasure to meet you Nina. I’m Emma.” Nina felt a buzz in her back pocket and she smiled. Slipping her hand into the denim pocket, a phone was removed when the hand reappeared. The object looked familiar to Emma but still she was prompted to ask a question as Nina read the screen. “What is that?” Nina was surprised, and her eyes tore away from the screen, her surprise evident.

“You don’t have one yet?” Emma shook her head, confirming that she did not have ownership of one. Turning around to the counter behind her, Nina’s steps were sharp. She pulled out a phone, closing the drawer behind her. “These, outside the island, would be cell phones. Here, it words as an instant messaging system.” She handed the phone to her new friend and continued to explain. “Gossip is huge here. Really huge. Everyone wants to know everything. You can send messages to anyone with a phone, and when you send you have the option of sending it as” her hand gestured to Emma, “Emma or as anonymous. Most hate messages are sent anonymously.” Nina typed out a message and handed Emma’s designated phone to her. There was an icon at the top of the screen that indicated there was a new message. Emma tapped the icon and saw the message that Nina had previously been typing.

**Anonymous asked: Have you been able to find a date yet?**

_Nina:_ _Nope. Still single pringle Nonnie. Unless you are asking me ;)_

Emma looked back at Nina, waiting for an answer. “When you receive an anonymous message, your reply and the original message are both posted on a main virtual board. Everyone sees them. When you receive a message that comes from a known person, you are able to send a message back to them, privately. The anon messages are posted to help spread the gossip, and really if you were able to return the messages, the sender wouldn’t be very anonymous now would it?” Emma nodded, following along. It all made good complete sense as Nina continued. “Now that your phone has been officially activated, you can start receiving and sending messages.” The dark doe eyes of the smaller girl turned back to the screen. “Nina.. what if I’ve already received some?” Nina looked up quickly. This was new, having messages so soon. Sure enough. There were two messages waiting for Emma to answer:

**Anonymous asked: how do you feel on the subject of giving birth?**

**Anonymous asked: How do you feel about Benedict?**

The first question was easy enough for Emma to answer, and at Nina’s prodding, she went ahead and typed quickly. Taking a moment to read it over, Emma entered the text when she was done, watching it become ‘pinned’ to the main board.

**Anonymous asked: how do you feel on the subject of giving birth?**

_Emma: I think that it is an important factor of having a family. However, if you’re asking me personally how I would feel if I were the one giving birth, especially here on this island, well. I don’t honestly know. I think, I think it would depend on who the father would be, and then, if I was pregnant I’d desperately hope there would be a doctor or a midwife on the island. But, I think it would be an experience either way._

The second question required more thought. Emma let herself take a minute to reply, making sure to keep her answers completely normal, well as well as she could, and not over the top. After all, this could very well have been sent by Ben and she wasn’t going to just spill everything because she really didn’t know and wouldn’t do that in the first place. Her fingers began to type, readying her answer, pressing send when she was finished.

____________

Ksenia proceeded to wander around the house while she waited for Benedict to get himself better dressed. She thought he was dressed just fine just the way he was really. Her blue eyes scanned the rooms and each and every antique to it. It was flawless, per say. The whole house seemed to radiate a kind energy that felt smooth and pristine. Every artifact was genuine; it was astounding just how incredible each object was. And that they were all here. Completely incredible. Once he deemed himself decent enough for company, Benedict ventured out to meet Ksenia.

As he descended the stairs, he saw Ksenia down the hall and waved. “Hello again, love.” His deep voice called out as he walked towards her. Ksenia waved at him, a grin growing on her features. Her raven black hair bounced on her shoulders slightly as she walked up to him. “Hello Mr. Handsome.” She added a light giggle to her voice, feeling happy to see him again. Since they were going to find her a room, Benedict saw no reason in waiting to do so. That was the ‘mission’ that they had assigned themselves, no reason to put it off. He was going to finish this one. Benedict gestured for her to follow and led her down the hall to where there were three or four doors, all open to rooms full of furniture, but no tenants. “These ones are all free I think.. unless you wanted a roommate, but I don’t know if anyone’s looking.” He mumbled almost to himself, trying to think of someone. Sometimes people wanted their privacy and other times they wanted to share a room, like people did at Uni.

Following his lead, she kept close behind him while she was being led down one of the closer hallways. “Maybe one day I will get a roommate, but I think now I will tend to stay by myself. But, hopefully, that’s not long.” She spoke with a smirk, turning to look at the doors before finding one to open. Twisting the door open, she peered inside, eyes sparkled with curiosity.

As Ksenia walked inwards to explore the room, Benedict felt the phone in his pocket buzz. Normally, he would just leave the gadget, but since his current company was definitely occupied with her exploration, he figured he might as well check it for once. As he did, it wasn’t a decision that he regretted.

**Anonymous asked: How do you feel about Benedict?**

_Emma: How do I feel about him? Well, I think he’s a completely brilliant man. I really really want to get to know him better than I do now._

He smiled, the expression growing wider and wider as he re-read and re-read the text before him. He hadn’t been the one to send the anonymous message, he rarely sent any messages at all really. But looking at the question, it almost made him wish that he had used that phone of his for once. Maybe he would have to start doing that more often; it was no use of him to just sit in his pocket like it had been. Ksenia’s voice drew him out of his analyzing. “I don’t think I need to look at any other rooms you know? I like this one; it’s a keeper.” Benedict turned his gaze to the woman in the room, that wide smile, the result of Emma’s reply, still present on his face. “Glad to know you like it. I was hoping that you might, if that’s not too forward..” He didn’t want her getting the wrong impression from his statement.

Ksenia couldn’t help but grin back. She was glad as well, to see that he obviously enjoyed her being pleased at the room. “I love it.” He had been handsome before, but with that smile.. there was pure joy radiating off of his face. Ksenia turned around to face him, sliding off of the queen-sized bed. She took a step up closer to him while her blue eyes met his. Taking her finger, she put it lightly to his nose and chuckled. “That’s not being too forward, not at all.” Letting her finger drop from his nose, she let it skim slightly off his cheek but managed to keep her grin on her face. Winking at him, she then turned herself around headed to the balcony that lay just outside of her rather large windows.

Benedict’s breath caught just slightly at the contact between them. The grin had faltered a little from the unexpectancy of that action. No one else had been so.. flirty with him there before. He tried to speak, but he was a little too surprised to find any words. She winked at him..? He couldn’t figure out what he’d done that made her this.. flirty. Benedict pushed it to the side, hoping that it wouldn’t mean anything really. Ksenia seemed like a naturally flirty person and until he learned otherwise, he was just going to leave it at that. Once out on the balcony, he noticed that there was a large and sturdy tree within his reach. "I’m going to jump to that tree." Benedict stated immediately after seeing it. He loved risks like that.

Especially after his confusion toward her, he felt like jumping off a balcony out of sheer confusion. His lanky arms stretched forward, his fingers crawling over the nearest branch that could hold his weight. Lifting himself over the railing of the balcony, he pulled himself off enough so that he was hanging from the tree.

Ksenia leaned herself over the balcony to watch him, a smirk appearing where a grin had previously been. “Well, you’re not going to hurt yourself, are we? Gotta keep that nickname of mine of you, it wouldn’t work how it’s supposed to if you have cuts all over you.” Her carefree giggle was evident as she spoke. "Oh, no. I’ll be fine." He climbed back onto the balcony, and stood in front of her. "Have you seen the cliffs yet? I jumped off of once and got a big cut on my chest. Emma had to give me stitches." Benedict explained, deciding it would be rude to leave right then. He leaned back against the railing, and looked down at her. "That’s the only time I’ve gotten hurt though. I’m normally alright."

His phone buzzed and he instantly wanted to check it again. What if Emma had answered something else? But when Ksenia began to speak, he stopped reaching for the gadget. “Oh, thrill seeker are we?” She speaks with a giggle in her voice. She listened closely to cool voice, an accent mixing in with each and every one of his words. She kept a grin on her face as her blue eyes met his. Her bangs gently skimmed her forehead as she turned to look out by the cliffs. "I am.. It’s such a rush. Your heart pounds so fast and your stomach sort of hurts. Honestly the only thing that can compare is falling in love." He smiled to himself. In every way it made him feel nearly the same as being in love.

He looked over at Ksenia with his slightly dorky and crooked smile. "Which nickname were you referring to? You’ve called me several things since I had the pleasure of meeting you." He glanced her over quickly, not really meaning to, but he couldn’t really help it. She was.. enticing; suggestive. He really shouldn’t be doing that in the first place. But then. He reprimanded himself. He wasn’t tied down, wasn’t taken. Yes he knew that he liked Emma, but he was waiting for Chris to take her. Till then, he could maybe try and figure out Ksenia, right?

“A rush. I’ll have to try that fun stuff.” She grinned, watching his blue-grey eyes look over her for just a quick second. She couldn’t help but grin a little bit at that. Pushing herself off the railing, she turned over and walked over to him and began straightening out his shirt from when he climbed over the rail. Turning her gaze up to him, she didn’t remove her close stance from him. “As for the nickname, Mr. Handsome, works best .”

"Oh." That one... Benedict cleared his throat, and took a step back to respectfully give her a bit of space. Had someone seen them so close things would be assumed about them that would look bad. He wouldn’t wish that on any young ladies here. "Thank you." He said, for her straightening out his shirt. It did always seem like some lady was taking care of him, making sure he didn’t miss a spot of shaving cream on his face, or cooking him something whenever he wondered into the kitchen. "It seems I’m a bit of a mess." He laughed quietly. His phone buzzed again and his fingers were itching to check it.

Ksenia cocked an eyebrow at her friend slightly, a light giggle escaping her lips as she watched him take a step back. “You’re welcome, and honestly, you don’t look like a mess at all. It doesn’t look like you’ve been climbing in trees. But more like you’ve been sitting in a library swooning woman and drinking tea with a suit.” She joked, a light laugh escaping her lips. Her eyes showed lightness and she tried to break any tension with him. Benedict didn’t move back any more. It’s not like he would have wanted to move away in the first place.

“Well, I’m not sure if any women would swoon over me. Not that I would really want them to.” Benedict chuckled quietly, and tried to make the situation a little lighter. “One swooning young lady is all I’d ever want. If everyone liked me then someone would get hurt, don’t you agree? I do, however enjoy sitting in the library. I’m a bit of a book worm and I do like tea.” Ksenia listened to his words, each one of them sounding a little bit more interesting as he went along. “Well, I guess you are pretty right about that, huh? One girl could do the trick.” She added, a grin curling up on her lips.

She listened to his voice begin to talk about the library, her eyes lit up slightly as he spoke. “A library, show me? That sounds like a nice place to drink tea at. Maybe you needed to get away from all of those women who fancy you?” She added, biting her lip. "I don’t think you understand.." Benedict chuckled quietly, and looked at her in silence for a long moment. "The ladies here are hardly interested in me." He said and took a long deep breath. The one that he wanted currently was far too out of his reach. She was absolutely incredible to him, but he couldn’t imagine her liking him, not in the least bit romantically. "Not that I know of anyway. They’ve never seemed to tell me or show me in any way.. that one would show feelings like that.." His speech slowed, and he glanced down at the ground, then at her again.

Ksenia watched his gaze falter slightly and his voice change pace. “I don’t think that’s true.” Living proof right here but she wouldn’t speak that aloud. Yet. As she spoke, she walked back towards him again and rested a hand on his shoulder. Her blues orbs met his grey ones, watching him curiously for any signs of him freaking out or anything. “Oh, I seriously don’t think that’s true at all.” She added with a smile on her lips. “They don’t deserve you, then.” Benedict’s face remained calm, and he seemed pretty unfazed by everything she was doing. All in all he was trying to stop letting himself go. His imagination was being cruel in this current moment, and imagining Emma being the one to touch his shoulder. Not that that would happen. But one could wish, right?

“Well the right girl will come along eventually.” Benedict said slowly. He only wished it could be sooner rather than later. The phone beeped, signaling that there were unread messages.

Ksenia immediately stepped back at the beep, letting Benedict pull out the phone and read the text. He felt a mixture of guilt, though was unclear as to why, and a hurt. One that could possibly categorized as longing perhaps? The text was interesting, that would be describing it in a way that was completely unemotional. He wasn’t going to let Ksenia know what he thought about the phone before him so he slowly put it back in his pocket, making sure to keep his face straight. Yes, the words went straight through his head and stayed there as he kept seeing it.

**Anonymous asked: Emma! Where have you been? I see Benedict out there snuggling with another girl who has been flirting with him all day! I thought you wanted to get out there and know him better?**

_Emma: I’m still here…You know anon. We’re not together. Should I have a say as to whom he should or shouldn’t spend his time with?_

Benedict closed his eyes for a second before re-opening them, forcing himself to smile down at his friend. Emma was right. She shouldn’t have a say. Absolutely right. And yet, he found himself wishing that the two of them would be at a point where she did have a say. Where she should know who he spent time with.. because she’d rather him be spending that time with her. A sigh left his mouth. One could wish.


End file.
